Anwar adds to pressure on Malaysia leader

Anwar adds to pressure on Malaysia leader
22 May, 2008

(Financial Times) - Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian opposition leader, yesterday said he planned to bring down the government of Abdullah Badawi by mid-September by calling for a vote of no confidence in -parliament.

Mr Anwar claims he is close to persuading at least 30 government members of parliament to defect to the three-party opposition alliance, which would give the group a simple majority.

The plans represent the latest threat to Mr Abdullah after his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, resigned from the ruling party this week and urged other members to join him to force a leadership change.

Mr Abdullah has been under fire since March 8, when the government suffered its biggest electoral setback in 50 years. If the opposition forms a government, it would represent the first transfer of power since independence in 1957.

"The moment we are sure that we can contest, we will do so," Mr Anwar told reporters in Singapore.

Some analysts have questioned whether Mr Anwar is ready to take on the government. Any administration he formed would be based on a slim parliamentary majority, while his opposition coalition was only established this year and includes parties with differing agendas. Mr Anwar said he did not want a narrow majority because it would create "a fragile and volatile" political situation. Although he said "we have the numbers" to bring down the government, there were "a lot of issues, a lot of threats" that could delay defections by government MPs to the opposition.

Mr Anwar was barred from standing for office until last month because of a criminal conviction stemming from his sacking as deputy prime minister by Dr Mahathir in 1998. He had not yet stood for parliament because he had not received permission from the election commission to do so.

Analysts say continued disarray within the ruling United Malays National Organisation - due to hold party elections in December - could benefit Mr Anwar in helping to attract defectors. Tricia Yeoh, head of the Centre for Public Policy Studies in Kuala Lumpur said Mr Anwar was serious about toppling the government by mid-September. "There's too much at stake for him to go back on that promise."

Mr Abdullah was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting of the Umno supreme council last night to seek support to remain in office in the wake of Dr Mahathir's resignation.