Undaunted Anwar soldiers on in telling his side of the story

Undaunted Anwar soldiers on in telling his side of the story

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Unfazed by warnings against public rallies, Malaysia's sacked deputy prime minister resumed his political roadshow on Sunday to tell his side of an alleged sex scandal.

Anwar Ibrahim drove south to the state of Malacca on Sunday for an evening rally after drawing a massive crowd of more than 30,000 people the night before in northern Malaysia.

It was the largest show of support yet for the ousted minister, causing sprawling traffic jams that forced thousands to walk several kilometers to hear Anwar's speech near the rural town of Jitra, the birthplace and power base of his nemesis, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

"This shows that the people cannot be easily deceived," Anwar told reporters following his speech, which ended after midnight. "They're convinced there's a conspiracy at the highest level."

Mahathir fired Anwar as his deputy and finance minister Sept. 2 on allegations of sexual misconduct. But the leader has not explained the sacking, saying only that Anwar was "unsuitable" for government and dismissed on "moral" grounds.

Anwar was also sacked from the United Malays National Organization party, the linchpin of the ruling National Front coalition lead by Mahathir.

Anwar was expected to speak in an assembly hall in Air Keroh in central Malacca state at around 9 p.m. (8 p.m. Jakarta time), an aide said. The planned rally would be the first for the politician in a proper meeting hall since his sacking last week.

Anwar has vehemently denied the allegations, which also include leaking state secrets, and blamed his ouster on a high- level political plot to stem his growing popularity. He is under police investigation on eight criminal charges and could face arrest.

Mahathir warned on Saturday that he was ready to "take action" if Anwar's campaign disrupted public order. He did not say what that action might be.

Political rallies in Malaysia are illegal without police permits. An Anwar aide said a permit had been obtained from police for Saturday night's speech.

Until Friday, Anwar had remained holed up in his home in the capital Kuala Lumpur, where he gave nightly speeches to crowds of more than 6,000 people.

Many said they attended the rallies to hear Anwar's side of the story, which has received minimal coverage in the government- controlled local media.