Opposition urges snap poll to end Malaysian crisis

Opposition urges snap poll to end Malaysian crisis

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysia's opposition leader urged
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday to call a snap election
to help resolve the nation's worsening political crisis.

Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader Lim Kit Siang said the
crisis, worsened by the sacking and detention of finance minister
Anwar Ibrahim, could derail Malaysia's efforts to put its
recession-hit economy back on track.

"The DAP calls for an immediate resolution of the ballooning
political crisis in Malaysia without which there can be no full
confidence restoration to effect the speediest economic
turnaround," he said in a statement.

"One way to resolve the political crisis is for Mahathir to
dissolve parliament and call for new general elections to seek a
clear national mandate from the people," he said.

"There is a great political effervescence among Malaysians who
hunger for change...," Lim said.

"This political effervescence for political change and reforms
did not begin on Sept. 2 when Anwar Ibrahim was sacked in a most
shocking and unprecedented manner."

General elections need not be called until April 2000.

Mahathir's ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition
has a four-fifths majority in parliament.

On Saturday, police arrested at least 241 people after clashes
between riot police and protesters in the heart of the capital.
Two policemen and 12 protesters were injured in the most violent
of the street demonstrations that began on Sept. 20 when Anwar
led 30,000 protesters through the streets of the capital
demanding an end to Mahathir's 17-year rule.

Anwar has pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges of sodomy and
corruption. His trial on four of the five corruption counts
begins next Monday.

A senior cabinet minister rejected on Monday calls by human
rights and opposition groups for Mahathir to resign and hold
early polls after violent street protests in the capital.

"Who are they? Only the people can decide to replace the prime
minister in an election," Information Minister Mohamad Rahmat
told AFP on the sidelines of a meeting of Commonwealth
journalists addressed by Mahathir.

"For as long as the people still support the prime minister, I
think the others shouldn't interfere. We've got bigger things to
do. We are talking about the future of the country," he said.

Separately, Anwar's wife said on Monday violent riots over the
weekend were sparked by growing frustration with police brutality
and the 17-year rule of Mahathir.

Azizah Ismail, called the rioting "a violent tragedy," and a
"manifestation of the people's anger toward Dr. Mahathir, which
could not be contained any longer."

She warned that more disruptions could break out.

"They have no other avenue," Azizah told reporters, adding she
believed demonstrators acted out of self-defense after being
provoked by riot police.

"Trouble may probably occur if the people have to defend
themselves from the brutal actions of the riot squad."

Azizah, who was appointed by Anwar to lead his reform movement
while he is in custody, denied any role in organizing Saturday's
protests.

On Monday, Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last colonial governor,
voiced his support for Anwar, while his wife paid a house call to
Azizah.

"He is a friend of mine and to many around the world," Patten
told a group of international editors. "The whole world will be
watching what happens in his case."

Patten compared Anwar to Myanmar's dissident leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.