ASEAN told not to interfere

ASEAN told not to interfere

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi urged ASEAN neighbors on Friday to stay out of its internal affairs as he warned against Malaysians abroad seeking to undermine the government.

"We have already told these countries not to meddle in the internal affairs of our country," the official Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.

Abdullah was commenting on news reports that some supporters of sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim have traveled to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines to gain support for Anwar.

Anwar was fired from his post on Sept. 2 and arrested days later on 10 corruption and sodomy charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is to stand trial on four of the five corruption charges next month.