KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 (AFP) - A government move to abolish a formal pronunciation of Malaysia's national language has drawn criticism, with one opposition official Monday accusing it of "petty politicking."

The government says the "baku" pronunciation of Bahasa Malaysia, decreed for all schools and colleges since 1988, does not reflect the way Malays actually speak and is not widely used.

But Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, said the move was "an attempt to wipe out all influences and changes" associated with Anwar Ibrahim.

The now-jailed former deputy premier introduced baku -- under which words are pronounced according to the way they are spelt -- into schools and colleges when he was education minister.

The National Justice Party headed by Anwar's wife said baku had "clearly unified and increased racial harmony in the country by putting aside the various dialects."

The party is concerned that the withdrawal of baku would widen ethnic and racial gaps, vice-president Sheikh Azmi Ahmad said in a statement.

The controversy began last Thursday when Rais Yatim, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said the cabinet had decided to abolish baku to help foster national identity and avoid public confusion.

Education Minister Musa Mohamad said the next day that baku usage would cease in schools in line with the cabinet decision.

But following some adverse reaction, including a statement from the Institute of Language and Literature which questioned the move, Musa announced that the ministry would review its decision after hearing views.

Information Minister Khalil Yaakob has reportedly said all television and radio broadcasts would revert to the commonly-used pronunciation, which was easier to understand.

Khalil was quoted Monday by the Malay-language Berita Harian as saying the use of baku could lead to a tendency towards the Indonesian language.

Bahasa Indonesia is similar to the Malaysian national language.

Lim said it was "most unprofessional" for the cabinet to make an important policy decision without proper study or consultation.

He said the information ministry had less than four months ago appointed the Institute of Language and Literature to its broadcasting advisory panel to promote baku usage on national radio and television.

"The only real reason for the arbitrary and haphazard cabinet decision to abolish baku has nothing to do with linguistics or education but everything to do with petty politicking," Lim said in a statement.

"The cabinet should stop playing UMNO politics with the Malay language and nation-building and should fully consult different sectors of society before undoing 12 years of promotion of the baku usage."

Anwar was sacked as deputy premier in September 1998 and expelled from the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

He was jailed for six years in April last year for abusing his official powers to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct. His trial on a sodomy charge resumes Tuesday.