KL to tighten border security with RI and RP<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): A senior Malaysian military official
\nsaid on Monday that border surveillance will be beefed up to
\ncounter security threats emanating from armed rebellion in the
\nPhilippines and political unrest in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The security increase follows a year in which extremist
\nIslamic insurgents from the Philippines kidnapped workers and
\ntourists from Malaysian diving resorts and Indonesia's government
\ncontended with separatist and religious violence.<\/p>\n
The national news agency Bernama quoted the army's deputy
\nchief of staff, Lt. Gen. Abdul Aziz Hassan, as saying in Kuching,
\ncapital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo island, that
\ntwo new battalions of soldiers were being sent to monitor the
\nborder with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Disputes over logging rights have been common along the
\nborder, but emotions ran far higher than usual last month after
\nan Indonesian immigrant maid in Kuching was allegedly beaten with
\na hammer by her Malaysian employer.<\/p>\n
Malaysians crossing from Sarawak to the Indonesian province of
\nWest Kalimantan reported being intimidated and harassed in
\nretaliation.<\/p>\n
Abdul Aziz also said that measures would be taken to enhance
\nsecurity in Sabah state, north of Sarawak, which was raided twice
\nlast year by guerrillas of the Philippine rebel group Abu Sayyaf
\nto take hostages, including foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
All were freed following the payment of huge ransoms and
\neventual attacks on Abu Sayyaf strongholds by the Philippine
\narmy. Generally, Malaysia enjoys calm relations with its
\nneighbors and does not face any military threat.<\/p>\n
Most Malaysian military operations are focused on combating
\npiracy and preventing illegal immigration from Indonesia and the
\nPhilippines, both countries that are much poorer than Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, thousands of Malaysians have signed a petition
\nurging UN chief Kofi Annan to head an international campaign for
\nthe release of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, supporters
\nsaid on Monday.<\/p>\n
Raja Petra Kamarudin, director of the FreeAnwar Campaign, told
\nAFP that about 21,000 people petitioned the United Nations
\nsecretary-general \"to lead the world community in demanding the
\nimmediate and unconditional release\" of Anwar.<\/p>\n
The petition was handed in to the local UN office Monday, he
\nsaid. It was launched on Oct. 14 by the women's wing of the
\nNational Justice Party led by Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan
\nIsmail.<\/p>\n
\"Many appeals have been made to the authorities by various
\nsectors of Malaysian society but they have fallen on deaf ears.
\nWe are now inviting the world community to add its voice to
\nours,\" the petition said.<\/p>\n
It said Anwar's sacking as deputy premier and his subsequent
\narrest, assault and imprisonment were tantamount to a travesty of
\njustice.<\/p>\n
\"He has been subjected to farcical trials which have outraged
\nthe international judicial and legal fraternity,\" it said,
\ndescribing Anwar as a victim of malicious, vicious political
\npersecution.<\/p>\n
\"He posed a challenge to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's
\nauthoritarian might and the corruption and cronyism that taint
\nhis regime.<\/p>\n
\"This is why he had to be removed from position and power.
\nThis is why he languishes in prison today. This is why the
\ninternational community has to respond to the injustice
\nperpetrated against the man,\" the petition said.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian government denies any political motives against
\nAnwar and says he received fair trials. \"At this juncture, with
\nAnwar once again seriously ill in hospital, there is an added
\nurgency to our appeal,\" the petition said.<\/p>\n
Anwar was taken from prison to a government hospital on
\nNovember 25 with acute back pain which he believes is partly due
\nto an assault in 1998 by the then-police chief, Rahim Noor.<\/p>\n
The officer has been jailed for two months for the assault but
\nis free pending appeal.<\/p>\n
Mahathir sacked Anwar on Sept. 2, 1998. He was arrested 18
\ndays later following mass anti-government rallies. In April 1999
\nAnwar was jailed for six years for abuse of power and in August
\nlast year was imprisoned for nine years for sodomy, with the
\nsentences to run consecutively.<\/p>",
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