Monday, Sept 21
Malaysia holds Anwar and four others under draconian law
AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (AFP) - Former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and four Moslem youth leaders are being held under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows for detention without trial, officials said Monday.

Anwar was detained late Sunday but Ghazali Amin, senior spokesman for the federal police headquarters, only said Monday he was being detained for threatening national security, Bernama news agency reported.

Anwar's arrest was under section 73(1) (a) of the Internal Security Act, he said. The ISA allows for Anwar to be detained indefinitely without him being produced in open court.

Anwar was arrested at his home after the capital was rocked by clashes between police and pro-Anwar supporters. He was not produced Monday in court where his supporters clashed with police.

Malaysian police chief Abdul Rahim Noor said earlier Anwar was arrested for disrupting public order and breaching the peace.

Anwar's lawyers complained Monday they had not been given access to the him since his arrest.

Police acted hours after a giant pro-Anwar rally in Kuala Lumpur and clashes between police and his supporters near the residence of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Following the clashes, police arrested Anwar after storming his house.

Anwar, who was dismissed by Mahathir on September 2 and later kicked out of the ruling party, has been subjected to a torrent of police allegations ranging from sexual misconduct to sedition.

In weeks leading up to the arrest, he had embarked on a nationwide speaking tour to defend himself, attracting tens of thousands of supporters as he accused the government of a high-level conspiracy and called on Mahathir to step down.

Apart from Anwar, Malaysian police also arrested Monday four top members of the country's Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM) under the ISA, a senior official from the group said.

Yusri Mohamad, assistant secretary general of ABIM, said the four were detained at the group's offices.

Anwar founded ABIM in the 1970s.

He identified those arrested as ABIM president Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, deputy president Mukhtar Redhuan, secretary general Shaharuddin Badaruddin and deputy national president Abdul Halim Ismail.