Malaysia warns soldiers

Malaysia warns soldiers

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Stern action will be taken against any military personnel found to be involved in the anti-government demonstrations, Defense Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Saturday.

"If only one or two members are involved, there is no need to blow it up. It is not a problem for us but we will investigate," the minister was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.

It was the first indication that some defense personnel were suspected to be involved in the campaign against Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has ruled Malaysia for 17 years.

Unlike in many Southeast Asian nations, the military in Malaysia has largely stayed away from politics and there has been no threat of a military-backed coup.

Protests erupted after Mahathir fired his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, nearly two months ago. Anwar, 51, was subsequently arrested and has continued to challenge Mahathir's leadership from jail.

Anwar will be tried beginning Monday for 10 counts of corruption and sodomy, charges he denies. A full-scale riot broke out for the first time in nearly three decades last Saturday, after police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters from a mosque who hurled stones and bricks.

Hundreds of people have been detained and jailed in the two months of protests.