Malaysian opposition pursues MPs to Taiwan

Agence France-Presse - 9/12/2008 4:14 AM GMT


Malaysia's opposition admitted it might not meet its goal of seizing power by next week as it sent a delegation to pursue potential defectors from the government on a trip to Taiwan.


Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has repeatedly said he is "on track" to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition by next Tuesday but his party said in a statement that it could be delayed.


"The process of transformation to a new government... is proceeding smoothly and we believe that Barisan Nasional will be replaced in a very short period," it said.


"The date might be delayed from September 16... but the agenda is still going on," it said, adding that one complicating factor had been the government's move to ship lawmakers overseas this week.


The ruling coalition sent 46 parliamentarians on a controversial and hastily arranged "study trip" to Taiwan, in what Anwar has said is an attempt to "corral and seclude" parliamentarians amid the high-stakes negotiations.


Leaders of Anwar's Keadilan party, which fronts the three-member opposition alliance, were headed there Friday to meet up with the delegation, in a "gatecrashing" move that is likely to irritate the government.


"We are looking forward to meeting with BN MPs and to have discussions and meals with them," Keadilan information chief Tian Chua, who is leading the four-person team, told AFP.


"Our team will also meet with Taiwan's government and opposition parties to brief them on the political situation in Malaysia," he added.


The leader of the government tour, Tiong King Sing, told the New Straits Times he was not worried about the opposition plans.


"They can send their leader, they can send whoever they want. It is up to them," he told the paper. "We have no fear."


Anwar needs 30 of the 140 coalition lawmakers to defect to form a new government. Most of the potential crossovers are believed to be from the Sabah and Sarawak states on Borneo island.


The opposition alliance gained unprecedented ground in March's general elections, securing a third of parliamentary seats and five states from the coalition, which has ruled since independence from Britain half a century ago.


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