Published October 24, 2008

Anwar: options to unseat govt running out

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(KUALA LUMPUR) Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he's running out of options to unseat the government, seven months after reducing the ruling coalition's majority to the smallest since independence.

Anwar, 61, missed deadlines he set to have coalition lawmakers defect to the opposition and parliament conduct a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The premier's response was to accelerate a power handover to his deputy, Najib Razak.

'I'm not saying we have no options left, but I'm saying it's getting to be much more difficult,' Anwar said yesterday in Kuala Lumpur. His three-party People's Alliance remains confident it can woo the 30 coalition lawmakers it needs to form a majority after taking control of 5 of 13 states in the March elections, he said.

Anwar's assessment, the most pessimistic since the election, suggests the transfer of power to Mr Najib will be smooth, removing the uncertainty that has contributed to a 37 per cent decline in the benchmark stock index this year.

'It's only right for Anwar to clarify the People's Alliance stand to the public,' regarding their diminishing options, said Tricia Yeoh, director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, an independent research institute in Kuala Lumpur.

'They should focus on administering the five states well and strengthening the bonds within the parties. This will demonstrate that they can be a formidable alternative federal government.'

The opposition has pledged to end Malaysia's system of preferences in employment and education for ethnic Malays and to reduce corruption. Anwar said he is exploring other options for a takeover that would be 'peaceful and orderly' and adhere to the constitution.

Mr Abdullah, 68, agreed this month to hand over power to Mr Najib in March. Previously the transition had been planned for June 2010, three years before the next general election must be held.

'The opposition wants Abdullah to carry on, because they believe if he leads the party in the next election, their chances would be enhanced,' former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday. - Bloomberg