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."