An act of desperation

The summary arrests of Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday night and four leading members of the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement on Monday are a sign of desperation on the part of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Far from securing his position, this clumsy act of raw power under the Internal Security Act -- which allows indefinite detention without trial -- has increased the likelihood of his own downfall, sooner rather than later. It has also underlined the fundamental weakness of an authoritarian system of government, which has not developed sufficiently to provide, in times of stress, an orderly transfer of power if and when it becomes needed.

When the time comes for supposedly serious charges to be laid against someone in Anwar's position, the first reaction is to disbelieve them, and suspect a politically motivated smear campaign, thuggishly enforced by outdated security laws. Mahathir might have the upper hand for the moment. But this is a power struggle with a long way to run yet. The forces for change might not be wholly with Anwar, but they are definitely against the prime minister.

-- The Sydney Morning Herald