Malaysia hits back at US criticism

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16: Malaysia Sunday lashed out at US criticism of the arrest of leading opposition figures, telling Washington to stay out of its internal affairs, but refusing to say whether more arrests were planned, reports AFP.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi denied that the five arrests last week, which have drawn widespread overseas condemnation, amounted to a crackdown on the opposition.

US State Department spok-esman James Foley Friday said the department shared "widely expressed concerns that these arrests are a transparent and cynical attempt to intimidate government opponents and stifle legitimate political discourse."

But Abdullah said Malaysia had to enforce its laws strictly.

"He (Foley) does not know what is happening here. This is our country and we will manage our own problems and we will solve them," he said.

"If an offence has been committed then action has to be taken. Our country has laws... not the law of the jungle. Don't interfere in our affairs."

Abdullah, who is also home minister and heir apparent to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, said the public should not get "excited" over the arrests as police would investigate the complaints with caution.

Asked if more arrests were planned, he told reporters: "We won't say how many people are going to be arrested. If there are reports and evidence that a person can be charged, action will be taken."

A leading opposition figure Sunday condemned the arrests as "the negative politics of spite, hate and vendetta."

Lim Kit Siang predicted that Mahathir would exceed "the worst excesses" of his 19 years as prime minister during his final term since all checks to his power had been dismantled.

Lim, chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), told a party meeting that Malaysians had hoped politics would become less dominated by race and religion and more by "justice, freedom, democracy and good governance."

But he said events since the November 29 election, in which Mahathir's National Front (Barisan Nasional) coalition retained its two-thirds parliamentary majority, indicated otherwise.

Mahathir, 74, has said this will be his last term. He came to power in 1981.

"The final term of Mahathir as prime minister will be the most dangerous times for Malaysian national-building as all external checks and balances have been dismantled while there are no countervailing forces inside UMNO and Barisan Nasional to give him a reality check," Lim said in a speech.

The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) is the National Front's dominant party.

Charged in court Friday with sedition were Karpal Singh, counsel for deposed and jailed deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, and Marina Yusoff, vice-president of the National Justice Party formed by Anwar's wife.