KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang told Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan today that he was willing to bet his political career on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s pledge that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the next prime minister.

In a statement today, the Iskandar Puteri MP said that the process will also go on smoothly, without the need to call for fresh elections, and gave Mohamad two days to take up his challenge.

Lim promised to retire from politics, and not contest in the 15th general election, if Mohamad wins the bet.

"At the PBS Sandakan by-election ceramah last night, the Umno acting president, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not keep his promise of passing on the prime minister’s post to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and that he will sooner dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections instead.

"I have more confidence in (Dr) Mahathir and I am prepared to have a wager with Mohamad that (Dr)Mahathir will honour the Pakatan Harapan commitment to pass the prime minister’s post to Anwar.

"If Mahathir does not pass the Prime Minister’s post to Anwar and instead dissolve Parliament to call for early 15th General Elections, I will retire from politics and will not contest in the 15th General Election,” Lim said.

Lim also challenged Mohamad to do the same, if the former wins the bet.

"Let us give Mohamad two days to decide whether to accept this wager with me,” he added.

In his campaign speech at Sandakan yesterday, Mohamad claimed that Dr Mahathir will not keep his promise of passing on the prime minister’s post to Anwar even after two years.

The Rantau state assemblyman said he was familiar with Dr Mahathir’s character and from what he knows, the latter will not relinquish the post to Anwar.

"I’ve worked with the grandpa for a long time. Trust me, I know the man; he won’t give it up,” he told a ceramah in Bandar Letat Jaya here today.

"Instead, when the time is up in two years, he will sooner dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections instead,” he said, adding that the election will be called as soon as the end of next year.