There was a moment during the question and answer session at the Singapore Summit when Anwar Ibrahim's voice seemed a little more raw than usual.

Participating in the S. Rajaratnam Endowment Dialogue, moderator Ho Kwon Ping asked Anwar about his potential ascension to the Prime Ministership of Malaysia.

Anwar explained that the Pakatan Harapan coalition, including Mahathir, had agreed to secure Anwar's release and confirm him as his successor.

Forgive and forget to save Malaysia

Anwar once served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister during Mahathir’s tenure as PM.

But they had a falling out in the late 1990s after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Anwar was jailed on charges of sodomy and graft, which his supporters have claimed was politically-motivated.

But Anwar recalled the instant when their relationship first began to thaw:

"He (Mahathir) came to see me in court and said "Anwar, we have a problem now." I said to myself, "Oh please, I can forgive, but don't bother me." I didn't say that to him, of course.

He seemed quite genuine. He said we have to save the country, we have to really team up because the whole institution is being destroyed."

Anwar recalled that he was "exceedingly polite" with Mahathir. However, his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, now the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, was "sad" and his two daughters were "crying", not understanding why their father had to entertain this man.

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Painful decision had to be made

However in Mahathir, Anwar had found an unlikely ally. Said Anwar:

"To Mahathir's credit, he was focused on our agenda for reform. He supported our position on judicial independence, free media, ridding the country of corruption.

And he said he would do whatever is required to help save the country."

Anwar said that since Mahathir had become PM, he had pursued the reform agenda of PH. Therefore, he had no reason to doubt Mahathir's sincerity.

But he acknowledged that while the stakes were high, it was still personally difficult for him and his family. Said Anwar:

""We had a larger agenda, we had a country to serve. In our case, we said that we had to save Malaysia. And ok I suffered, it was a very painful decision. It was not easy...I know how we, the families of my colleagues suffered.

I know how difficult it was when I had to sit with Wan Azizah and Nur Izzah at the end to finally endorse Mahathir as Prime Minister. But we decided with great conviction, because we had to save the country."

He added that for the sake of ordinary Malaysians, they had to forgive and forget the past.

Modern-day Mahathir

Anwar fielded another question from Ho on the difference Mahathir made in the PH's stunning general election victory.

He pointed out that the Parti Keadilan Rakyat had won the popular vote in 2013, but could not form the next government as they did not have enough MPs.

However in 2018, as Anwar was in prison, the PH felt that the ideal candidate to gain that crucial base of popular support was Mahathir.

"He was also instrumental in effecting that change. What was remarkable, and not well-appreciated by many outside observers, that at the age of 92 last year, he went on such a campaign trail, really punishing schedule, that every day and night he was there, meeting electorates."

Anwar added that Mahathir had expressed humility, asking the voters to give him a chance to "make amends".

Chance for improved Malaysia-Singapore relations

But what's in store for Malaysia-Singapore relations, if and when Anwar becomes PM?

In an earlier dialogue session with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, Anwar said that relations between Singapore and Malaysia would improve after Mahathir steps down.

However, he added that Singapore was too "business-like" in its relationship with Malaysia.

But ultimately, Anwar said that he did not see "any problems" between the two countries, and that relations were strong, both economically and historically.

He also gave a shout out to Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who called on DPM Wan Azizah during a visit to Malaysia on May 19, just 10 days after the PH's victory. Anwar was present during the meeting.

He said:

"He was very very cordial, and it was a good gesture for him to be among the first to visit us after the election. These signals are important because it goes beyond diplomatic encounters and business deals."

Anwar later said that if he becomes Prime Minister, he will make sure that one of the first countries he will visit will be Singapore.

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Top image from Kayla Wong.