Opposition leader arrested in KL

Opposition leader arrested in KL

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian opposition leader Syed Husin Ali and his wife have been arrested along with eight others, following protests over the demolition of squatter areas, his party said on Tuesday.

Syed Husin, who heads the tiny Malaysian People's Party, was detained after he visited the squatter area in Ampang on the outskirts of the capital, the party said in a statement.

"Syed Husin Ali, his wife and their friend Tan Chin Hong earlier visited Ampang Campuran to see the condition of the families whose homes were demolished by the developer on Dec. 30," the statement said. "Twenty-eight of 56 houses have since been demolished."

The three were hauled in by police, along with six others including the chief settler at the area.

The party, saying it "regrets that the developer has not acted humanely and has not heeded the advice of the Selangor Sultan to stop and reexamine its actions", demanded the immediate release of all nine.