KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIAN opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim may not meet his planned Sept 16 date for winning power due to a trip overseas by almost 50 government MPs, a newspaper quoted him on Wednesday as saying.

'After discussion with (opposition coalition partners) PAS and DAP, the date can be postponed even though our target was September 16 previously,' Datuk Seri Anwar was quoted as saying in the Star.

The comments were made after late night prayers on Tuesday, the paper said.

No-one from Datuk Seri Anwar's coalitition, which comprises his own Keadilan party, the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP), was immediately available for comment on the report.

Mr Anwar has to win the defection of 30 government MPs to have a majority in the 222-strong Malaysian parliament. At present his coalition has 82 seats.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition this week sent around 50 of its MPs on a study trip to Taiwan, a move which Mr Anwar said was aimed at preventing him from convincing them to switch sides.

He is due in court at 9.30am to face charges of sodomy, which he denies and says are politically motivated. He is likely to be bailed again and the case moved to the High Court.