The Setiawangsa Bersatu division wants party chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be allowed to continue as prime minister until the next general election.

The division had passed this motion for Mahathir to complete his five-year term at its inaugural general assembly on Oct 29.

According to Sahabat Harapan Setiawangsa chairperson Abdul Rahman Hashim, the motion was mooted by the division's head Zahid Md Arip, who is also Mahathir's political aide.

Prior to the 14th general election, Pakatan Harapan had agreed that Mahathir would be prime minister for two years before passing the baton to PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim.

However, Mahathir has since indicated that he would remain in the position longer.

On the same day the Setiawangsa Bersatu division had its meeting, Anwar had dismissed claims of attempts to thwart his rise to become the eighth prime minister.

“This is the media's interpretation. Those that believe there is a larger intrigue, a conspiracy that was repeated from 1998,” he told reporters.

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa had raised the possibility of a conspiracy against Anwar similar to what transpired in 1998 following news of Bersatu courting Umno lawmakers.

During his first tenure as prime minister, Mahathir had sacked Anwar as his deputy on Sept 2, 1998, after accusing the latter of sexual misconduct and abuse of power.

Anwar had claimed that Mahathir had fabricated the charges.