It comes just five months after the opposition Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) ended 61 years of one party rule in Malaysia back in May.

That victory, led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad -  who returned to the country's top political job at the age of 93 - shocked the world and marked the opening of a new and more uncertain phase in Malaysian democracy.

The extraordinary alliance between Mahathir and Anwar in 2018 - 20 years after a spectacular falling out between the then prime minister and his deputy that culminated in the younger man being jailed on trumped-up sodomy charges - was cemented by Mahathir promising to hand the prime ministership to Anwar.

Now, with Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Ismail already ensconced as deputy prime minister, and armed with a full post-election pardon from the King that has allowed him to re-enter politics after a second stint in jail on a second set of trumped-up sodomy charges, Anwar is back in parliament.

To date, Mahathir has indicated his preference is to serve perhaps two years of the five year parliamentary term as prime minister before handing over the nation's top political job.

Mahathir has hit the ground running in a manner that makes a mockery of his 93 years - moving to wind back the country's fondness for Chinese-funded infrastructure projects, repealing the GST and pursuing former prime minister Najib Razak over corruption.

Supporters of Mahathir insist that, though his political party Berstau holds just 13 of the 116 seats in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, victory would not have been possible without the older man leading the opposition.

They are likely correct.

Mahathir, whose first stint as prime minister lasted 23 years and who is still remembered fondly for the economic growth and stability he delivered, offered Malays fearing a vote for change the reassurance that they could, finally, vote out the UMNO [United Malays National Organisation] after 61 years.

But some of the supporters of Anwar and the PKR (People's Justice Party), which holds 50 seats in the coalition, are impatient for him to assume the prime ministership.

Already there have been reports that Anwar and Mahathir are not on the same page about when the hand over should take place. Both men have publicly dismissed these suggestions.

Supporters of Anwar, who has been the face of the reformasi movement in Malaysia for 20 years, should cool their jets.

Many members of Pakatan Harapan have never sat on the government benches and are inexperienced in how to actually govern. Controversies over a child marriage case and Malaysia's archaic sodomy laws have been handled poorly and highlighted this inexperience.

Mahathir, with his wealth of political experience and the significant personal support that helped sweep the opposition to victory, should not be hurried out the door.

Anwar's win is another win for democratic change in Malaysia. But it also underscores the  new levels of uncertainty in Malaysian politics.

The prime minister in waiting should hurry slowly to the nation's top political job.