MIC president SA Vigneswaran predicts that Pakatan Harapan government will collapse once its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad steps down as prime minister.

"Harapan is still surviving as the federal government due to Mahathir's previous experience as prime minister for more than two decades.

"Once he steps down as prime minister, Harapan will no longer be able to function," he told journalists after chairing the central working committee meeting at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Harapan component parties had agreed to allow their nemesis-turned-ally Mahathir to lead the coalition on condition that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim will succeed him as prime minister.

Mahathir had agreed to the condition, stating that he would hand over power about two years from his appointment as prime minister.

There has been pressure from his party Bersatu for him to complete a full term, but he had insisted that the promise must be kept.

Anwar had said he did not intend to rush Mahathir, and that he should be given the space to govern as prime minister.