Malaysia's ruling coalition brought 41 lawmakers to Taiwan for a study tour while opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim seeks to persuade MPs to defect in his bid to overthrow the government. The opposition is strategizing to remove the government by Anwar's deadline of September 16, prompting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to call a meeting of his coalition to prevent defections. Anwar's efforts to disrupt Malaysia's political order have increased political risks and unsettled foreign investors. The country's fiscal deficit, influenced by spending to boost the government's popularity after a poor election performance last March, has also negatively impacted the ringgit, stock market, and bond prices. Anwar is set to appear in court on Wednesday to face a new sodomy charge, which he believes has been fabricated by the government to hinder his political aspirations. It is expected that the case will be transferred to a higher court. Barisan MPs claimed that their upcoming trip to Taiwan for an "agriculture study mission" is unrelated to the Anwar situation, labeling it as a "PSY-WAR GAME." He departed with 40 other MPs on Monday, with an additional eight scheduled to leave on Tuesday. The ruling party, Barisan, currently has 140 MPs compared to the opposition's 82. Lim Kit Siang, an experienced opposition figure, claimed that government MPs left Malaysia to avoid being involved in potential political shifts on September 16. He mentioned that the MPs may face constant monitoring and have their mobile phones taken away while in Taiwan. According to a political analyst, the Taiwan trip could be used as a convenient excuse by Anwar if he does not meet his September 16 deadline. Columnist Suhaini Aznam wrote in the Star newspaper that Barisan is falling into Anwar's psychological warfare tactics. Anwar met with leaders of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance on Monday to discuss the plan for takeover, as stated by his aides. Anwar was expected to release a statement following the meeting. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, was dismissed during the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and later imprisoned for six years on charges of sodomy and corruption. He emerged victorious in a special election held last month, which enabled him to return to parliament and potentially become the prime minister if the opposition alliance secures victory.