Police arrest Anwar after major protest

Police arrest Anwar after major protest

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysian police arrested sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday, hours after he led tens of thousands of protesters through the streets of the capital calling on Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to resign.

Armed police broke down the front door of Anwar's suburban home and led him to a white police van as about 2,000 supporters still there shouted "Reformasi" (Reform) and "Long Live Anwar". About 100 riot police with shields and batons surrounded the van as it drove away with Anwar and his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, inside.

Anwar's lawyer Christopher Fernando told reporters inside Anwar's house that the former cabinet minister would be indicted for sexual indecency.

Local television said Anwar would be arraigned in court today, the day when Britain's visiting Queen Elizabeth closes the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Anwar's adopted brother and a former speechwriter pleaded guilty in court on Saturday to being sodomized by Anwar. Sodomy is a crime in Malaysia.

Mahathir sacked Anwar as deputy prime minister and finance minister on Sept. 2, calling him morally unfit.

Anwar, 51, is under investigation for sodomy, treason, corruption and other crimes which he has denied, saying he was the victim of a conspiracy to end his political career.

Anwar's wife said late on Sunday at federal police headquarters that her husband had been shifted into another car after leaving their home, and that she did not know where he had been taken.

"I brought the kids," she told reporters outside police headquarters as a helicopter with a spotlight hovered overhead and about 50 riot police holding M16 rifles stood by.

"They support their father, an innocent man. I feel sad for the country because Anwar wants to fight for justice, for truth. If Anwar is arrested, there are many more Anwars in Malaysia," she said.

Anwar and his wife have five girls and a boy. A lawyer said Anwar had been given an hour to collect his affairs and say goodbye to his children before being led away.

"There will be further arrests, especially the movement leaders," Kuala Lumpur police chief Kamaruddin Ali told reporters outside police headquarters.

He said Anwar had been detained to aid police investigations into allegations of criminal acts. "He (Anwar) will be produced to the magistrate tomorrow morning," he said.

Anwar had said police were preparing at least 21 charges against him and that he expected to be arrested after Queen Elizabeth leaves Malaysia on Wednesday.

But Anwar surely hastened events when he led 30,000 demonstrators through the streets of the capital shouting for Mahathir to end his 17 years of uninterrupted power.

The protesters later converged on a road leading to Mahathir's official residence, and riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.

"It amounted to rioting and also some vandalism," said police chief Kamaruddin, adding that "everything is now under control".

"The march to the prime minister's house is unprecedented," political analyst Murugesu Pathmanathan told Reuters. "This is a major political event and there will be a change in the international attitude towards Malaysia."

Anwar's arrest came amid an economic recession that recently prompted Mahathir to impose strict currency controls that were at odds with Anwar's more liberal policies.

Tensions built between Anwar and Mahathir earlier this year when the prime minister's former heir-apparent spoke out against cronyism and corruption.

Anwar's campaign coincided with protests against former Indonesian president Soeharto, who stepped down in May, and riled Mahathir's supporters who saw it as an attempt to destabilize the government.

"People are angry at Mahathir," said a 21-year-old marcher who asked not to be identified. "Indonesia used to be a military country, then students took to the streets. We are very, very angry."

Mahathir dismissed Anwar's movement on Sunday, calling it a "minor" distraction. Bolstered by the smooth running of the Commonwealth Games, Mahathir said he could easily win a snap election.

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