Monday, Sept 21
Malaysia ruling party youth chief held under ISA
Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The leader of the youth wing of Malaysia's dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) was arrested on Monday under the Internal Security Act (ISA), police said.

They said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a supporter of sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, was arrested in Sabah state on Borneo island on Monday morning. ``Zahid has been arrested under ISA in Sabah,'' a police officer who asked not to be identified told Reuters.

The ISA allows police to detain a person without trial. Anwar, who was detained by police after he led a rally calling for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's resignation, was also to be held under the law, the official Bernama news agency quoted the federal police chief as saying.

Zahid, the most prominent Anwar supporter within UMNO, was in Sabah meeting political leaders and promoting Anwar's reform movement, sources in the Borneo state said.

Witnesses saw Zahid being led away by plainclothes police.

Anwar, who was sacked from the cabinet on September 2, was arrested on Sunday after leading 30,000 supporters through the streets of the capital shouting for Mahathir to step down after 17 years in power.