BN seen as panicky

The Deputy Premier, Najib Razak (left), confirmed that he had approved the trip from Sept 7 to Sept 19 for BN's 75 members. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi (right) dismissed a connection between the trip and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's claim to topple the BN government on Sept 16 with the help of BN defectors. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S top government leaders on Friday defended an overseas trip planned for Barisan Nasional MPs over the next two weeks, dismissing speculation that it was to prevent their defection to the opposition.

'Why connect their trip to the Sept 16 issue? They are not the ones planning to jump and leave the BN,' said Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on Friday.

'We will not give them the opportunity to set up government on Sept 16,' Datuk Seri Abdullah said.

The Deputy Premier, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, confirmed that he had approved the trip from Sept 7 to Sept 19 organised by the BN Backbenchers Club for its 75 members.

Sept 16 is the date on which opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed that he would topple the BN government with help of at least 30 BN defectors.

Despite their denials, the coincidental timing swiftly cemented the impression of a panicky BN, as rumours spread wildly on Friday that the first wave of crossovers was imminent.

Even national news agency Bernama had to issue a denial that it had sent a text message that seven BN component parties were holding a news conference to announce that they were quitting the coalition.

Observers say the trip appears to suggest a government losing confidence in itself, and this will increase the pressure on Mr Abdullah to resign and hand over leadership to restore public confidence.

He won a reprieve after announcing that he would retire in mid-2010 but Datuk Seri Anwar's landslide victory in the Permatang Pauh by-election has triggered fresh calls for the Prime Minister's resignation.

An Umno MP was dismayed to find out that Mr Abdullah and Mr Najib had endorsed the trip which he had initially believed was a frolic of the backbenchers' club.
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