PERMATANG PAUH, Malaysia -- Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he has no moral qualms about toppling the government with lawmaker defections, claiming the country cannot afford to wait four years for the next elections to bring about change.

Malaysia's de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (C) and his party leaders wave to supporters as they leave after submitting his nomination papers for the Permatang Pauh constituency by-election in Permatang Pauh, 370 km (230 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, August 16, 2008. [Agencies]

Anwar will contest a Tuesday by-election from the northern district of Permatang Pauh for a seat in Parliament. He is expected to win easily despite facing an imminent trial on the charge of sodomizing a male aide, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

Anwar's aides say a large group of ruling coalition lawmakers is waiting for him to enter Parliament so they can defect. A former deputy prime minister with ambitions for the top job, Anwar has said he will bringing down the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by September 16.

In general elections on March 8, Anwar's three-party opposition alliance won an unprecedented 82 of Parliament's 222 seats, 30 short of a majority, as well as control of five states.

Anwar rejected criticism that a government formed by defections would have no moral authority to rule. He said the opposition would have come to power anyway had the elections been totally fair.

Also, the country is reeling from economic mismanagement and corruption, and should not have to wait for four years to change the government, he said.

"Number one, you have a situation where the election was stolen from you. Number two, there is no direction, no leadership. Can you imagine, with this leadership, this policy, this crime rate, this economy, can the country manage and survive for four years?" he said.

"My point is, we will lose a lot if we wait for four years," he said in the interview in his car while traveling from a public meeting to a mosque for evening prayers.