Malaysian oppn may topple Badawi's govt

Singapore, Apr 16: Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that he has enough support to form an alternative government.

''We are saying here for the first time that we are ready. But we will only enter when the majority is comfortable,'' he said. ''The timing of his bid to topple Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's coalition government would be decided through consensus among the three opposition parties in the People's Pact.'' The disqualification of former deputy prime minister, who was sacked and jailed a decade ago, had ended on Monday.

More than 10,000 supporters had assembled to celebrate the end of his ban from politics.

Mr Badawi yesterday declared that he was ready for a ''smooth transition, not a sudden transfer of power''.

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), leading the campaign by large sections of the ethnic Indian minority for ''equal rights'' on a par with the Malay-Muslim majority, is supporting the People's Pact from outside.

UNI