'The meeting will be held at 3.30pm tomorrow,' said BN's secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansorhe on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said on Monday that he would announce by Wednesday whether or not he would stand aside in March in favour of his deputy Najib Razak.

Although he did not indicate what his decision would be, Mr Abdullah, who is Barisan chairman, is expected to announce that he would not be defending his post at the Umno elections in March next year.

Leadership handover doomed

Meanwhile, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday that the looming leadership transition in the ruling coalition will do nothing to reform an administration mired in corruption.

'I don't believe that Mr Najib will be able to garner support or credibility, or manage the economy and rid the country of corruption,' Mr Anwar told reporters.

'The leaders must be credible and we are talking about a system tainted with corruption, condoning criminality, and therefore it is important we continue to call for reform and changes.'

Mr Anwar, who has said he has the support of enough lawmakers to topple the government, is also battling a sodomy charge which he says is politically motivated and aimed at preventing him from seizing power.

He has been accused of sodomising a 23-year-old former aide - the same charge that saw him jailed a decade ago after he was sacked as deputy prime minister.

Mr Anwar had a small victory in court on Tuesday when a judge fended off a government attempt to move the case to the High Court.

Mr Anwar, who has said he fears the government could fix the trial if it is heard in the High Court, questioned the motivation of Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, who he is suing in connection with his earlier conviction.

'I am concerned only about the issue of fair trial. I am finding it difficult to understand why the attorney-general is so desperate, fighting tooth and nail to get the case out of this court,' he said.

The Sessions Court will hear arguments from both sides over the transfer of the case until Wednesday. -- Bernama, AFP