KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S ruling political party has asked the country's anti-corruption watchdog to help it battle vote-buying in the heated contest for top posts, a report said on Sunday.

Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, secretary-general of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), said complaints would be referred to the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

'The party's disciplinary board cannot check such complaints as it does not have the means to do so. If there is proof, we will refer them to the ACA', he was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times.

'There have been complaints of money changing hands at party meetings, but we do not have proof'. Mr Tengku Adnan said party members had nothing to fear. 'We are serious about eradicating money politics'.

The party, led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is holding branch meetings to nominate candidates for party elections in December.

Members have alleged that aspiring candidates are rewarding supporters with money in return for their votes, but Umno has until now opposed involving the graft watchdog.

Elections to top party posts will be held during the Umno general assembly from December 16 to 20.

Some leading figures are calling for the top two posts - the presidency, held by Datuk Seri Abdullah, and deputy presidency - to be open to contest also.

Mr Abdullah is facing calls for his resignation after a drubbing at the polls earlier this year, and has said he will step down in 2010.

The March 8 polls saw the Umno-led coalition lose a third of parliamentary seats and five states to the resurgent opposition, which now has ambitions of seizing power with the help of defecting government lawmakers. -- AFP