KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - MALAYSIAN ruling party MPs are willing to defect to the opposition in sufficient numbers to trigger a change of government, de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said.

'You cannot rule out that possibility,' Mr Anwar said on Wednesday when asked if he would have enough defections for a change of government.

'The sentiments in Sabah and Sarawak are strong with number of people approaching us,' Mr Anwar said in an interview, referring to the Malaysian states on the island of Borneo.

He declined to say how many MPs were willing to switch sides. Asked if it was more than five, he said, 'Of course, it's more than five.' Asked if it was more than ten, he declined to answer.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling coalition suffered the biggest setback in its 50-year reign at elections on March 8, losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority and surrendering an unprecedented five states to opposition parties.

Mr Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party) emerged as the largest opposition party in the new parliament, which is required by the constitution to sit no later than June, but could meet earlier if the government decides to do so.