Permatang Pauh: Two officials in Anwar Ibrahim's opposition party were charged in court on Monday with accepting a bribe in connection to a planned housing project.

The two, a state lawmaker and a district chief in Anwar's People's Justice Party, pleaded innocent to the corruption charge.

The government's Anti-Corruption Agency arrested the two men last week with three other suspects, including another opposition party state lawmaker.

The opposition has slammed the charge as a government move to tarnish Anwar's image ahead of a by-election on Tuesday that Anwar is expected to win.

Anwar, 61, is pitted against Arif Shah Omar Shah of the governing National Front coalition in the by-election.