KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA: Umno Youth has questioned the "deafening silence" from the Bar Council, NGOs and bloggers over plans by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to woo Barisan Nasional MPs.

Its secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said these groups, which claimed to defend the rights of the people, have remained silent over Anwar's move to engineer defections, which he described as undemocratic and an act of stealing the mandate of the people.

"Where are the voices of NGOs, Bar Council and bloggers who had voiced loudly the need to protect the rights of people?" he asked here yesterday.

"Why are they not coming out to criticise Anwar and tell him it is morally wrong to grab power? Does their silence mean that they are being used by Anwar?"

Abdul Rahman said he was also surprised at the silence of the United States, which usually trumpeted the importance of democracy in the world.

The Kota Belud MP said the people of Malaysia voted for a two-party system in the last general election.

"Anwar should accept his role as Opposition Leader and carry out his duty of checks and balances," he said.

"If Sept 16 does occur, it will not be a surprise if Barisan supporters go to the streets to challenge the legitimacy of a government formed through undemocratic means. And all this is because Anwar wants to be Prime Minister."

In PETALING JAYA, Pasir Salak Umno Youth condemned remarks by former Federal Territory Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, asking instead that he apologise to Umno.

Its vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun said Dr Tan's remarks were uncalled for, provocative and personal in nature.

Dr Tan had, when announcing on Saturday that he was joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said Umno was now far removed from its original struggle and had become very proud of showing off material gains.

Khairul Azwan said Dr Tan had no right to criticise the party as he was not from Umno, and added that Dr Tan ought to provide specific evidence to back up his claims.

"We also want him to apologise for accusing Umno of making a rubber stamp of leaders of other component parties. We want him to retract it," he said.