Malaysia calm, ruling party members want dissidents out

The gathering marked the launch of a coalition of about a dozen political parties and religious and human rights groups to demand reforms.

Senior members of Mahathir Mohamad’s ruling party on Monday said there was an urgent need to expel dissident members with the potential to destroy the grouping.

“A majority of members will be happy if negative elements in the party are expelled,” a senior member in Mahathir’s United Malaysia’s National Organisation (UMNO) said.

“I hope by the end of the year, these destructive elements will be cleared from the party,” headded.

The senior UMNO member, who asked not to be named, said that those currently detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) along with Ibrahim would be purged from the party.

Another UMNO member who echoed a similar sentiment said the party would split if members who openly disagree with the party line are allowed to stay.

“What is the use of them (dissidents)? They can join other parties. The important thing is the well-being of UMNO and not the individual. Even when Mahathir has to go, he has to go. No doubt about it.”

The member also said that the party leadership had urged members to remain calm and not to counter the street demonstrations of Anwar’s supporters.

“We do not want chaos on the streets. Let the due process of law take its course,” he added.

UMNO Youth, however, will organise a 100,000-strong youth gathering at the new million dollar Bukit Jalil stadium on October 10.

Among those detained along with Anwar are Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, UMNO youth chief, Ruslan Kasim, NegeriSembilan Youth chief, and Tuan Asma’oan, a State Assembly leader from the southern state of Johor.

Mahathir has accused his former protegy of having sex with two men who pleaded guilty in lightning court appearances a week earlier. Sodomy is an offence in Malaysia.

The prime minister warned on Friday that Anwar would only be brought to court if his supporters did not "riot” in his support. Anwar was sacked from the government on September 2 and detained under the ISA on September 20.

But his followers have adopted the rallying call of “reformasi” which toppled Indonesia’s veteran leader former president Suharto in May after 32 years of iron-fisted rule.

Anwar’s supporters have been blamed for the destruction of party property at the UMNO headquarters last week.

The rally in Gombak was the biggest political meeting since a rally the previous Sunday in central Kuala Lumpur at which Anwar called for Mahathir to step down.

Anwar was arrested hours afterwards under the Internal Security Act (ISA),which allows indefinite detention without trial.

Since his sacking on September 2, he had attracted tens of thousands to rallies, calling for political reform and an end to nepotism and cronyism.