Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has denied saying he will step down as prime minister in three years' time.

According to Malaysiakini, Mahathir said to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on June 24:

"I didn’t say three years... but it is for corrective work."

A promise is a promise

This was in response to a question about his interview in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 22.

At the time, Mahathir was asked how long he would stay in power to reduce Malaysia's national debt, to which he replied:

"No, I will not go beyond three years."

He added that he would stick to his promise of stepping down before his term was over and allowing Anwar Ibrahim to succeed him.

Meeting with Anwar went as per normal

When pressed about his meeting with Anwar on June 24, Mahathir replied that it was an ordinary meeting, according to Malaysiakini.

Additionally, no mention was made the issue of the "delay" in the handover of power,

Mahathir said:

"We spoke as usual. It was nothing."

The position appeared to be echoed by Anwar as well, who put up a Facebook post on the meeting.

In it, he explained that his discussion with Mahathir touched on the country's foreign and domestic affairs, along with economic issues.

"Met Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad In Putrajaya today.

We briefly touched on several relevant/latest issues in (home affairs) and out(foreign affairs) of the country.

In the meeting we also agreed that the leadership of the country should be quick and credible in focusing on economic issues including driving domestic and foreign investments."

Could the denial be an acknowledgement of original timetable?

In September 2018, Mahathir stated that he would step down after two years in favour of Anwar, as per an agreement by the four parties that made up the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, The Straits Times reported.

However, the PH consensus document that sets out the transition plan does not specify a timeline for the handover.

Anwar states handover should not interfere with running of country

Separately, Anwar also stated that the handover of power should not interfere with the running of the country, The Star reported.

He added that there was an understanding with Mahathir on the matter and that it was not an issue for him.

Anwar said:

"For me, this is a non-issue. The matter was raised, so we commented on it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m satisfied."

More on what Mahathir originally said on June 22:

Top image from Anwar Ibrahim Facebook