© AP
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's deputy prime minister on Wednesday dismissed opposition claims that the government is on the brink of collapse, but urged ruling party members to unite after massive election losses.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said there was no evidence that members of the ruling United Malays National Organization party were about to defect to the opposition.
«We are watching it very closely of course but so far there is no indication of anyone wanting to cross over,» he told reporters.
Still, the statement was a tacit acknowledgment of the deep instability in the Malay party, which has governed Malaysia since independence in 1957 as the dominant member of the National Front coalition.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Monday he has the secret support of at least 30 government lawmakers, enough to bring down the government. Anwar's opposition alliance has 82 seats in the 222-member Parliament and needs 30 more to form a majority of 112.
But Anwar said he does not want to form a government with a wafer-thin majority, and is waiting for more lawmakers to defect before making his move.
Najib said Anwar's claim may be «gamesmanship,» but added, «we cannot take things for granted either.
The National Front was thrown into disarray after March 8 general elections, suffering its worst losses in history. For only the second time since 1957, it lost its two-thirds majority, and for the first time lost control of five states.
But even if the government survives, the once-unimaginable losses have left Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi struggling for political survival.
Faced with calls to step down, Abdullah has said he will hand over power to Najib, but has not set a time frame except to say it won't happen this year.
Najib's comments came as Malaysia's main pro-government newspaper lashed out at ruling party members for squabbling and calling for Abdullah to step down.
«People are getting fed up with UMNO's moaning and groaning,» the New Straits Times said in a front-page editorial Wednesday.
«The truth is that the people have long been disgusted with the kind of boorish and loutish behavior that UMNO leaders have exemplified because of their grip on power,» it said.
Associated Press reporter Vijay Joshi contributed to this report.
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