Dr Mahathir Mohamad has backed Perikatan Nasional's (PN) decision to reject the terms of a deal drawn up by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's federal coalition to stay in power, saying it was meant to appease its biggest partner - DAP - by preventing issues concerning Islam and the Malays from being part of the political narrative.

The former prime minister said despite the two-thirds majority achieved by Anwar, there was always the possibility of the coalition government falling apart and Anwar's term ending.

He said Anwar's position had become even more vulnerable as Umno leaders and MPs were still unable to come to terms with DAP.

"If Umno does not support the coalition, Sarawak will not join either," Mahathir said, referring to GPS, which is seen as a reluctant partner that decided to join Anwar's government after the 2022 general election.

"If Umno and Sarawak (GPS) do not join, the government will fall. That's why the Malays must be silenced. That is why '3Rs' was introduced, followed by the MoU," he said, referring to the abbreviation for race, religion and royalty.

PN has emerged as the largest Malay opposition bloc since independence, shaking traditional Umno strongholds in the 15th general election and the state elections held nine months later.

PH has often accused the coalition of exploiting "3R" sentiments to remain relevant among Malays, with opposition leaders and supporters frequently targeted by police investigations under the draconian Sedition Act.

Mahathir said the move to put a gag on "3Rs" issues was to appease DAP, which is the largest partner in the federal coalition.

"The strongest party in the coalition is DAP with 40 seats. For PMX (Anwar), DAP's demands must be met if he wants to remain prime minister. On the other hand, Umno and its Malay representatives are not happy about working with DAP," he added.

The draft MoU prepared by Anwar's coalition government was to address opposition MPs' demands for equal allocation.

In return, the government said that opposition MPs must not challenge Anwar's position until the end of the current parliamentary term.

It also included a condition that prohibits opposition MPs from speaking out on issues that they believe fall under the 3Rs category.

PN said the conditions were not only undemocratic but also prevented them from fulfilling their opposition role.

The MoU idea was mooted by Anwar despite his repeated claims of ruling with a two-thirds majority.

After the last general election, Anwar's PH joined forces with Barisan Nasional led by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The alliance was later joined by GPS, which said it was adhering to a royal decree, as well as several MPs from disparate parties in Sabah.

The MoU is modelled on a similar agreement signed between former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and PH in 2021, which was aimed at preventing snap elections due to a collapse of the government, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the heart of the agreement between Ismail and PH was for Ismail's government to pass a law that would prevent MPs from changing parties, a move that was seen to favour the then opposition coalition at the time.