It's for real: Anwar - TODAY

I will get the numbers to grab power, he tells sceptical journalist

By Nazry Bahrawi

A CONFIDENT Anwar Ibrahim met foreign correspondents based in Singapore yesterday and opened the door a wee bit more on his plans to grab power.

Once the former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and now torch-bearer for the Opposition has the numbers to make up a simple majority in Parliament, Mr Anwar said he will call for a vote of non-confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government.

The numbers game is a simple one.

Twenty-nine more seats — that is what his grand coalition called Pakatan Rakyat needs to send an embattled Mr Abdullah and his ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) packing.

But his audience did not seem totally convinced. A sense of expectation mixed with scepticism was evident among the foreign journalists, some of whom have followed his sensational roller coaster political career with professional zeal.

Do you really have the numbers, or is it just good psychological warfare, asked veteran journalist Barry Wain, who is now writing a book on former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Mr Anwar smiled somewhat coyly, then replied: "I've said it on April 14. Yes, we have the numbers." Where does this confidence come from? Not wanting to give too much away, he said it came from reading the mood among the BN backbenchers. As though anticipating the follow-up question, the man who believes he is within kissing distance of becoming prime minister gave an example: Only three or four of Mr Abdullah's diehards — and not 30 or 40 parliamentarians — rush to his defence every time Umno's top leadership comes under attack.

Want more evidence? Well, look no further than what the grand old man of Malaysian politics, Dr Mahathir, said recently.

Said Mr Anwar: "Even Mahathir has conceded: Yes, there is a possibility of Anwar taking over. He didn't say it is going to be a turmoil, or a disaster or politically disastrous for the country."

Earlier this month, Dr Mahathir warned Umno members to take Mr Anwar's threat seriously. In that conference at Putrajaya on May 7, Dr Mahathir said: "I first wanted to dismiss this possibility but on studying the situation I feel that there is a great danger."

With the opposition now controlling 82 out of 222 parliamentary seats, Mr Anwar said he needs just 30 BN lawmakers to cross over for the new opposition government to run the country with a simple majority.

[More at http://www.todayonline.com/articles/255191.asp]