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.