The three-day congress comes as Datuk Seri Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition - comprising the PKR, the Islamist Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), and secular Democratic Action Party (DAP) - experienced a series of missteps.

One of the latest is the attempt by PAS to ban the sale of alcohol in Selangor state, a move that raised the ire of DAP leaders.

Earlier, the appointment of a Chinese to head the Selangor Development Corporation also came under fire from some quarters within the opposition coalition.

Observers feel that Mr Anwar would do well to use the congress as a platform to restore the faith of his supporters. About 2,000 delegates from 160 divisions are expected to attend.

While Mr Anwar may try to put Sept 16 - the deadline he set for taking over the government - behind him, it seems inevitable that delegates will raise this issue.

'There is a lot of disappointment that the Sept 16 takeover never happened,' a PKR member told The Straits Times.

'We expect questions from members on crossovers and Sept 16,' PKR lawmaker Yusmadi Yusoff said.

An issue that may be raised at the conference is the problem of finalising the coalition's official charter despite more than eight months of discussion. The stalemate could be seen as a sign that the ideologically diverse coalition is facing serious problems.

PR secretariat member Dzulkefly Ahmad told The Straits Times that there were some sticking points within the charter that the partners could not agree on. He did not reveal what these were.

The Straits Times did learn that DAP had approved a draft version of the proposed charter.

Dr Dzulkefly, who is the research head for PAS, said the charter should be finalised by January.

'We are very sure of our differences and we will not be compromising on those. But those ideological differences will not get in the way of our coalition. If that were the case, then Pakatan would have broken up early on.'

Other topics likely to be raised include strategies to move the party forward, and ways to sustain the support of younger members, who comprise about 70 per cent of its numbers.

As for Mr Anwar's chance of becoming premier, observers say he will likely wait until the next elections due in 2013 for a shot at toppling the government.

Critics say the window of opportunity for him appears to be shrinking, especially after unpopular Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi confirmed he would hand over power to his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, sooner than planned.

Some said the early handover has removed all sense of instability within the ruling Barisan Nasional, but opposition lawmakers insist this is not true and that PR still has much public support.

They say Mr Najib carries too much baggage, ranging from allegations of links to the high-profile murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, to claims of defence deal kickbacks.

Analysts said PR's popularity has not waned yet, and the party may be able to salvage public sentiment if it can manage the five opposition-held states well.

'Assurances of cooperation, systematic efficiency and commitment to carrying through issues should be made this weekend. Clear policy strategies on the economy would also help boost public confidence in the ability of Pakatan to manage an upcoming crisis,' political analyst Tricia Yeoh told The Straits Times.

hazlinh@sph.com.sg

Coalition 'immature'

KELANTAN Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat described the Pakatan Rakyat as immature and still in its infancy in handling conflicts and differences of opinions between its coalition partners.

Datuk Nik Aziz, who is also the spiritual leader of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), said this was because the coalition was still young. He said this when asked about Pakatan's cooperation policy following an internal crisis in Selangor, which led to the dismissal of Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad as PAS deputy commissioner.

The Agenda Daily website reported yesterday that Selangor PAS commissioner Hassan Ali had dismissed his deputy because 'Khalid is seen as frequently defending the actions of Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and would disagree on any protest made by Selangor PAS against the actions of the Menteri Besar'.

Datuk Nik Aziz refused to comment on the move to drop Mr Khalid.