In his first press conference as the new prime minister, Mahathir said that even he himself did not anticipate the surprising election results. He thanked the Malaysian people for their support.

Mahathir listed his 22 years of experience being the former prime minister as his qualification to run the country again, saying he aimed to set up a good government, which is based on the constitution and the law.

As for the next move, he said he would consult with leaders of other component parties in the alliance on Friday, to divide the number of ministers among themselves to set up a new cabinet as soon as possible.

Mahathir reiterated his pledge to seek a royal pardon for Anwar Ibrahim and hand over the premiership within two years. Anwar is the former deputy prime minister of Mahathir who is in prison for sodomy charges. He is scheduled to be released in June.

Expectations are high for Mahathir to transform the Malaysian government from the race-dominated agenda to more constructive policies. During his last premiership, Mahathir introduced the "Vision 2020" blueprint for the nation to become a self-sufficient industrialized nation by 2020.

On his way to the royal palace on Thursday afternoon, Mahathir sat in a Malaysian-made sedan called Proton Perdana with car plate number "2020", a sign that he is still sticking to his plan.