Mahathir felt that Pakatan Rakyat was a force to be reckoned with, not because it was strong or the people loved the Opposition but because of "the feeling of disappointment."

When asked where the Opposition would obtain the 30 MPs, Mahathir pointed towards Sabah and Sarawak. "If we take Umno, MCA and MIC, they have their roots here (in the peninsula) but not in Sabah and Sarawak. Although you have Umno in Sabah, it is transplanted from here to there. He said even in the peninsula, there could be MPs who could cross over since they knew that they could be in the new opposition-led government."