Monday September 8, 2008  6:46 am

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - An official says more than 50 Malaysian government lawmakers are traveling together to Taiwan amid jitters about opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's threat to recruit enough defectors from the government to seize power by next week.

The opposition has accused the National Front ruling coalition of sending its members of Parliament overseas to keep them away from Anwar and to prevent him from enlisting government legislators to join the opposition by Sept. 16 - the date he has vowed to take power.

Tiong King Sing, chairman of the National Front Backbenchers Club, said more than 40 lawmakers flew to Taiwan for an agricultural study tour Monday and that around 10 more will join them Tuesday. The trip will stretch through next week, but there is no confirmed date for their return.

Tiong denied the visit was timed to foil Anwar's threat.