Rights, political activists slam Anwar's sacking

Rights, political activists slam Anwar's sacking

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): After a day of stunned silence, dozens of
human rights and political activists began denouncing Malaysia's
prime minister on Friday for sacking his deputy.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad fired Anwar Ibrahim from his
posts of deputy prime minister and finance minister Wednesday
after months of pitched political infighting.

Anwar was then dumped as vice president of the ruling United
Malays National Organization (UMNO) early Friday.

"The action illustrates the arrogance of the prime minister
who has completely disregarded fairness, due process and
political accountability to the public," said Tian Chua, a
spokesman for local human rights group SUARAM.

The hugely popular Moslem Youth Movement of Malaysia, founded
by Anwar in his student days, has also rallied behind their
deposed leader, who faces allegations of sexual misconduct and
leaking state secrets.

"This is hypocrisy," said Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, president
of the youth group, a position occupied by Anwar for years until
he joined Mahathir's ruling party.

"In the course of accusing America and her allies for
arrogance and high-handedness in ganging up on their avowed
enemies, our own political leaders are exactly doing the same
thing."

Dozens of human rights groups and opposition parties,
including Amnesty International, the opposition Democratic Action
Party and Malaysian Trade Unions Congress, issued a joint
statement voicing their protest.

"The total lack of transparency in this episode is a
reflection of the utter contempt and disregard that the prime
minister has for the views of the people of the country," the
statement said.

One of the signatories, Syed Husin Ali, president of the
Malaysian People's Party, said Anwar's ignominious dismissal
would throttle Malaysia's attempt to pull itself out of full-
blown recession.

"In fact, it can cause deeper economic and political crisis,
more serious than what has been experienced by this country in
its short history since independence" from Britain in 1957, said
Syed Husin.

"Once again, it has exposed Dr. Mahathir's true self as an
authoritarian or even dictatorial leader."

Despite the surging dissent from such groups, hundreds more
Cabinet ministers and senior government officials in the
Southeast Asian nation have chimed in their unwavering support
for Mahathir's "difficult" decision.

"Let's give the prime minister our full trust and remain
solidly behind him," advised Education Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Mahathir, after Anwar was expelled from UMNO, said he was
"saddened" by the unfolding events.

"I wish it hadn't happened, not at this point," he said. "But
these things have gone out of my control."