KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (AFP) - Sacked Malaysian
deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday postponed the
launch of his national reform campaign
because he feared arrest, a spokesman said.
Anwar, 51, who has been under police
investigation since being dismissed on Wednesday by Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad, had planned to visit his home
bastion of Penang in northern Malaysia.
He had vowed to tour the nation to campaign for political reform in a challenge to Mahathir, his former mentor.
Anwar spokesman Adlin Murtadza Zadrib
said the ousted finance supremo now had heightened fears of being
detained.
"It is postponed for now. We are afraid
he may be nabbed for addressing a public gathering," Adlin told reporters
outside the Anwar residence.
After Anwar was sacked as deputy prime
minister and finance minister serious allegations of sexual impropriety
and
endangering national security have been
aired.
Police have said Anwar is under investigation.
But supporters have backed Anwar, who
says the allegations are part of a top-level conspiracy, and opposition
leaders
have complained at his treatment.
Anwar on Saturday met Lim Kit Siang,
head of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and main parliamentary opposition
leader. Lim's son Lim Guan Eng, also
a DAP MP, was recently jailed for 18 months for sedition and publishing
false
news.
Lim called for an emergency meeting of parliament on the sacking.
He also proposed a royal commission of
inquiry into "the serious allegations against Anwar" including sexual misconduct
and treason, and Anwar's counter-allegations.
"I am not here to defend Anwar (but)
he is entitled to fair play," said Lim. "We are old friends and fellow
parliamentarians," he added.
"We have just come to visit Anwar and
to discuss with him my proposal that there should be an emergency parliament
in view of the gravity of the political
crisis as a result of the unprecedented sacking of Anwar as deputy prime
minister
and finance minister."
Other opposition leaders have also visited Anwar in the past two days.
NSTPi