Mahathir blasts Anwar to justify firing

Mahathir blasts Anwar to justify firing

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad went on the verbal offensive against his former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday and then went to a meeting of his ruling party to give his reasons for firing him.

Mahathir told a news conference that Anwar was doing his best to get arrested, his reform movement was a ploy to deceive the public and his former political ally had "low morals".

Mahathir said Anwar's reform movement "is just a ploy to deceive the people. I don't think Malaysians will want a leader with such low morals and one who indulges in activities that are not expected from a leader of that level."

The 72-year old Mahathir, Asia's longest serving elected ruler, said on Tuesday the country's financial crisis had forced him to shelve his retirement plans.

He said the departure of his sacked deputy and heir-apparent, Anwar, was also a contributory factor.

"I am sorry it has come to this. I was thinking of retiring this year," Mahathir, in power since 1981, said after meeting some 3,500 members of his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party.

"Unfortunately, I think I need to stay back to lend some of my experience towards the resolution of this problem," he said.

Last week Mahathir fired Anwar, who was also deputy prime minister, but no specific reason was given for the sacking apart from a remark by the prime minister that Anwar was "not suitable".

However, a sharp disagreement between the two men over how to steer the economy through the financial storm which has engulfed many of Malaysia's neighbors has became increasingly apparent this year.

It ended with the government imposing strict foreign exchange controls to shield the country's stock and currency markets from global volatility -- and Mahathir dumping the free market- oriented Anwar the next day.

Since his dismissal, newspapers have published a series of allegations accusing Anwar of treason, involvement in murder and fathering an illegitimate daughter, all of which Anwar denies.

Mahathir went from the news conference to a closed meeting of his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) which began shortly after 5 p.m. (4 p.m. Jakarta time). An UMNO official said some 3,500 regional delegates joined party leaders at the meeting.

Anwar told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday that he believed he was under virtual house arrest as he could not leave his suburban home without being arrested.

But Mahathir said there were no restrictions on his former heir-apparent's movements.

Except for a short visit to a nearby mosque on Friday, Anwar has remained in his Kuala Lumpur house since last Thursday, greeting thousands of sympathizers who came from all around Malaysia to express their support.

He was due to leave for his home state of Penang on Wednesday and then go on a "roadshow" around Malaysia but he told Reuters he had reconsidered.

"My friends and supporters told me they are here and people are streaming in from all over the country...so they have encouraged me strongly after my announcement...why don't I just stay here," he said.

The 52-year-old Anwar said he could prove a politically- motivated conspiracy was behind his sacking. "There was a police report to the prime minister last year alluding to this. There is a tape recording of a witness, used by them now, that millions of ringgit were given by very prominent people in the government," he said.

"I have visual recordings of political apparatus within the ruling elite having sessions to assassinate me politically. Some of it I have produced. Some I will produce at the right time."