Anwar says he has majority to rule

Malaysia's opposition alliance claimed yesterday it had enough support in parliament to oust the government and sought a meeting with the premier to discuss a handover as well as the king's consent.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said that he expected Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to meet him within the next few days to discuss a transition of power from the government, which has ruled for more than 50 years.

It was the most forceful statement yet that Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, is close to winning Malaysia's top job after being imprisoned for sodomy and corruption in the late 1990s and barred from office.