Dressed in his trademark blue batik shirt, Anwar travelled to the government-held states of Malacca, Pahang and Johor to build support and momentum.

This is his first prediction of impending elections if his plan to capture Putrajaya by September 16 fails.

"Even if we don't come to power, we will have elections very quickly," Anwar told a 10,000-strong crowd in Kuantan days after being arrested for questioning in a sodomy case.

Anwar is also seizing on a largely unpopular 41 percent fuel price hike introduced last month, saying he would lower pump prices immediately if he comes to power.

"Don't let these baseless accusations about me distract you from what is most important, how to bring down the high prices of oil and food which have devastated the people," he told an enthusiastic crowd in the small Malaccan village of Cheng on Friday night.

More than a thousand ethnic Chinese supporters, including old men with walking sticks and young girls in cheongsams, turned up to hear him speak in a sign of the multi-ethnic appeal that he enjoys in Malaysia, which is home to large ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities.

"Keadilan (Anwar's party) did not win very big here in the last elections," said 44-year-old villager Choong Hai Sung as blue-and-red Keadilan flags fluttered from wooden houses.

"But the recent hikes and indifference of the local authorities to our problems mean that we have to now shift our support," he said.

"I know that subsidies are bad but we are going through bad times and Anwar's plans seem like the best option now."

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