Security law protests rock Malaysia,hundreds held

Police fired teargas from the tops of buildings in the Kuala Lumpur in an effort to prevent demonstrations from building up. Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Muhamad Sabtu Osman said 589 people had been arrested.

The mainly Malay crowd gathered at the national mosque,chanting Allahu Akbar God is greatest and Down with the government,while a police helicopter circled overhead. Police fired teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters who were marching towards the palace to deliver a memorandum to the king urging him to repeal ISA.

The police however took a hard stance and one government minister vowed that ISA,used in the past to imprison Anwar among others,would never be revoked while the government that has ruled Malaysia for 51 years remained in power.

The law was used last year on a pro-opposition blogger,a journalist,and members of Hindraf,an outlawed Indian rights group which had brought over 10,000 people onto the streets in 2007 demanding better treatment for the ethnic Indian minority.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak Najib has promised to review the legislation and released 13 detainees from ISA on taking office in April. I regard this as being politically motivated,there is no benefit we can derive from a demonstration like this, he said on Saturday.