Anwar not allowed to speak in Kelantan

Anwar not allowed to speak in Kelantan

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian police in eastern Kelantan state refused on Thursday permit to allow ousted deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim to hold a political forum, Bernama news agency reported.

The application, made by an unidentified individual late on Wednesday, was turned down as it failed to comply with procedures, state police spokesman Muhammad Muda said.

Kelantan is the only Malaysian state ruled by an opposition party, the fundamentalist Parti Islam.

"The police have rejected the request because it did not follow procedures, such as submitting the application two weeks before the gathering, " he told Bernama in Kelantan's capital of Kota Bahru.

He warned the public not to attend any illegal assemblies as they risk being charged under the Police Act.

Anwar has embarked on a nationwide tour to drum up public support, two weeks after his dismissal as deputy premier and finance minister and his subsequent expulsion from the ruling United Malays National Organization.

Stepping up pressure on the former cabinet minister accused in a sex-and-treason case, police on Wednesday detained Anwar's top political aide, Mohamad Azmin Ali.

Anwar said that he expected to be next but that authorities would probably wait until after the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, which end on Monday.

The director of police criminal investigations, Yaacob Mohd Amin, said Azmin would be remanded for a week under the Penal Code.

It was the fifth arrest in connection with a police investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, treason and corruption aimed at Anwar. The finance minister's removal coincided with the imposition of currency controls at odds with his free-market views.

Among those arrested were a Pakistani national, a Malaysian businessman and Anwar's former private secretary at the Finance Ministry.

Anwar, formerly heir-apparent to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has said that the arrests were part of a campaign to incriminate him and foreshadowed his own arrest.

Anwar's aides said on Thursday the former deputy prime minister would stop in Kelantan state, ruled by the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), on Friday. Kelantan is the only state among 13 to be ruled by an opposition party.

Anwar, once a firebrand Islamic youth leader, was to leave on Thursday for Pahang state to hold a public meeting, and would also address a gathering and attend Moslem Friday prayers in Terengganu state.

Anwar, who was sacked on Sept.2 and expelled from his political party one day later, has been holding meetings at his suburban home in Kuala Lumpur which have drawn thousands of people. Police have not intervened although permits have not been granted.