Politicians involved in the purported new coalition want Mahathir to serve out the full five-year term as prime minister rather than hand over to Anwar, who has previously said Mahathir was not involved.

Anwar on Sunday referred to “former friends in Bersatu and a small faction of traitors from PKR”.

“Pakatan Harapan may collapse,” a senior source from the coalition told the South China Morning Post.

“Those involved in this move want to see a more stable government with a coalition that can work to fix the economy, carry out institutional reforms and boost the confidence of foreign investors … and not live under the constant shadow of succession which is disruptive.”

Mahathir and Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, the leader of Bersatu’s youth wing and the Youth and Sports Minister, have reportedly defended the current Pakatan Harapan (PH) ruling coalition, which has the support of 129 members in the 222-member parliament.

Under Malaysia’s constitution, a potential prime ministerial candidate needs to have the support of at least 112 MPs, said Emeritus Professor Shad Saleem Faruqi, Malaysia’s foremost authority on the constitution.

The “magic figure of 112” could come from anywhere – from Mahathir’s own party, coalition partners, opposition or independent MPs, Faruqi added.

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He is also the Economic Affairs Minister and is regarded as a rising star in Mahathir’s government.

Opposition leaders from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) also attended the meeting.

No leader from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) or the Amanah party, which are members of the ruling PH coalition, attended.

Amanah party chairman Mohamad Sabu criticised the opposition’s move, saying Umno and PAS should wait until the next general election rather than hijack the Pakatan Harapan government midterm.

Anwar’s PKR party is the biggest constituent of the current alliance, but it is beset by internal divisions. Meanwhile, Mahathir has said in recent months that he needs more time for a planned transition for which he has never set a date. Forming a new coalition could allow Mahathir to serve out a full term instead of handing over to Anwar as promised.

One source with knowledge of the matter said Mahathir had been angry that he came under pressure from pro-Anwar ministers to set a clear timetable for a handover at a meeting of the coalition on Friday.

Free Malaysia Today quoted Amanah president Mohamad Sabu as saying Umno and PAS should not seek to “enter by the window or back door” to form government.

A group of prominent members of civil society calling themselves Concerned Malaysians also rejected any “back door government” that does not have the mandate of the people.

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“We the people are concerned that some politicians think that they own this country and can do whatever they wish without the legal and moral mandate of the rakyat,” the statement said, using the Malay word rakyat, meaning people.

“The rakyat will not agree to or cooperate with any back door government formed out of the selfish self-preservation agenda of certain MPs,” said the statement, adding that if the ruling PH coalition had failed, there should be an election.

Constitutional expert Faruqi said any person who commands majority support in the country’s 222-seat parliament could be appointed prime minister by the king.

“If the coalition breaks down, for whatever reason, whether willingly or because of political manipulation, the prime minister has to resign,” Faruqi said. “And if the prime minister resigns, the entire cabinet would automatically be dissolved.

“The prime minister who resigned could later go back to the king with new numbers and the king has the discretion to appoint him as prime minister.”

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If the king is unable to find someone who commands the majority, an election could be called. However, the king cannot call an election on his own. He must have an interim, acting or caretaker prime minister to advise him.

In the event of a hung parliament, or when the ruling party is “indulging in internecine competition”. the King is pivotal, Faruqi said as he could “make or break” a candidate for the premiership.

“Anyone whom he gives the first bite of the cherry, [that candidate] will have an advantage,” Faruqi said.

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Anwar and his wife, Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail are due to meet Malaysia’s king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, this afternoon.

If Mahathir splits from Anwar and keeps out the DAP, he would need support from Umno, PAS, and parties in the eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak in order to retain power.

Currently, PKR has 50 seats in parliament and DAP has 42 seats. Bersatu has 26 seats, Amanah has 11 and UMNO and PAS have 56 between them. The Sabah and Sarawak parties hold 30 seats between them.

Analysts expect the political intrigue to bring fresh tumult to Malaysia’s economy, which is grappling with a threat to growth as the coronavirus crisis continues. Hit by the uncertainty, stocks fell more than 2 per cent to their lowest since 2011 after Monday’s opening.

Additional reporting by Reuters