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Anwar allies threaten protests after arrests

KUALA LUMPUR: Two prominent supporters of Malaysia's jailed former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim and his lawyer were indicted on Friday in a crackdown that drew an opposition threat to mount public protests.

Lawyer Karpal Singh and Marina Yusoff, vice president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Nasional, were charged with making seditious remarks.

Mohamed Ezam Mohamed Nor, Anwar's former top political aide and youth leader of the Keadilan run by Anwar's wife, was arraigned for violating the Official Secrets Acts.

Prosecutors said Karpal and Marina could be jailed for up to three years and fined a maximum of 5,000 ringgit ($1,315). If convicted, Ezam faced a minimum jail sentence of one year and a maximum of seven.

All three pleaded not guilty in separate Sessions Courts.

Their supporters shouted "reformasi" (reform), the rallying cry of Anwar's supporters, as they left the court houses on bail.

Keadilan, which helped to unite a splintered opposition after Anwar's ouster from the government in September 1998, demanded an end to the crackdown.

Anwar was instrumental in gains scored by the Barisan Alternative (BA) alliance of opposition parties in the Malay heartland of the country in November general elections.

"The BA will not to tolerate our leaders being victimised as the scapegoat of the ruling parties' internal problems," Tian Chua, another Keadilan vice president, said in a statement.

Marina was said to have accused the United Malays National Organisation, Mahathir's political party, in a September speech of triggering race riots in 1969.

Mohamed Ezam was indicted for releasing classified documents of the Anti Corruption Agency to reporters at a news conference. Anwar has repeatedly accused cabinet members of corruption.-Reuters