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.