ANALYSIS | In 2018, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim buried the hatchet and succeeded in dethroning BN only to have their ties immediately strained over the subject of a transition date.

Even now, with both of them in the opposition, there is growing tension between their two camps as talk of another regime change gathers steam.

Prominent figures in both Mahathir and Anwar's inner circles have revealed to Malaysiakini that both statesmen are confident that Perikatan Nasional no longer has the numbers to govern and they are therefore scrambling to form a new coalition.

However, should "Pakatan Harapan++" form a new coalition, the key ingredient of Mahathir and Anwar's awkward relationship remains the same - who will emerge as primus inter pares (first among equals)?