M'SIAN PM SAYS BN WILL REMAIN IN POWER TO FACE NEXT GENERAL POLLS

BY THAM CHOY LIN
BEIJING, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is not surprised that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had not delivered on his promises to unseat the government, saying that the National Front (Barisan Nasional -BN) coalition will remain in power and face the next general election.


Anwar had told Bloomberg TV that he was running out of options after
missing several deadlines to unseat the BN.

"I thought that will happen. Whatever he says never works out and I don't
think there will be another prediction of change of government, whatever he
says has not happened," Abdullah responded Thursday.

He was speaking to the media after launching the Beijing representative
office of Khazanah Nasional, the government's investment arm before attending
the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit beginning here Friday.

Abdullah said the BN would become stronger with the emergence of new
leaders and reforms.

"There will be no change of government, the government of the Barisan
Nasional will stay until we face the next election," he said.

In another twist on his failed bid, Anwar told reporters in the Malaysian
Parliament lobby Thursday that the time was not right for him to topple the
government because it was not appropriate in view of the global economic
crisis.

Barisan Nasional (National Front or BN) is a major political coalition in
Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA