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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's opposition alliance has conceded that it is unlikely to meet the self-imposed September 16 deadline to take over the government.
But it has sent a delegation to Taiwan, hoping to persuade some ruling coalition backbenchers, who are on a visit there, to defect.
Led by Anwar Ibrahim's Parti Keadilan publicity chief, Tian Chua, and party strategist Saifuddin Nasution, the opposition MPs flew off to Taiwan on Friday afternoon to catch up with their Barisan Nasional counterparts.
Their task is to win over the dozens of government MPs currently on an agricultural study trip there.
Saifuddin Nasution said: "Yes, we have the numbers... we are going to stay in the same hotel, spend plenty of time together freely, because we are in Taiwan and not Malaysia."
Tian Chua said: "I am quite confident that by September 16 we will be able to announce that we are ready to take over the government. The remaining thing is how to ensure there will be a peaceful transition of power."
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, however, dismissed the expedition as part of Anwar's psychological warfare.
Mr Najib said: "He's just playing politics, so don't get carried away by what he said... I don't think any of the government MPs is going to defect."
Earlier Friday, Mr Najib met Trade Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at an investors conference in Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Muhyiddin, who is also UMNO's vice-president, has publicly called for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to expedite his plan to hand over power to his deputy and step down earlier than June 2010.
He said: "I am not a hypocrite, I've never acted as a hypocrite in my whole political life. I say what I believe is true, and the truth sometimes is painful, but reality is reality, you have to acknowledge it. I leave it to the prime minister and the whole of Supreme Council to decide."
Mr Najib, who is next in line, chose to stay out of the discussion, adding that it is up to UMNO members to decide the timing of the transition at their divisional meetings, which will begin right after the fasting month of Ramadan in October.
- CNA/ir
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