Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today claimed that many lawmakers from premier Abdullah Badawi's Barisan Nasional coalition wanted to join his camp following the ruling party's worst ever electoral performance at the March 8 polls.

Anwar said he had been approached by several MPs from the ruling party who expressed a desire to defect, but added that no one would be bribed to cross-over. "We will remain consistent and committed to the code of ethics. If you want to surrender at a price you have chosen the wrong party," he told reporters.

"People have approached and discussed ... But no one dared raise the issue of price (of defection) to me." Anwar's PKR party and their alliance partners -- DAP and PAS -- won 82 seats in the 222-member parliament. If they get 30 more seats then they have a majority in parliament. Barisan Nasional garnered a simple majority and Abdullah was named premier for a second term. He has yet to name his cabinet.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, was once a favourite to succeed ex-premier Mahathir Mohammad. However, he was accused of corruption and sodomy in 1998 and was convicted of both charges. While Anwar was in jail, his wife formed the Parti Keadilan Rakyat or People's Justice Party, which has emerged as the largest opposition party after this year's elections.

Source : PTI