Police block roads to prevent Ibrahim from attending debate

Kuala Lumpur, Jul 15 (PTI) - Police Monday blocked the roads leading to Parliament to prevent opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and his supporters from attending a debate, creatingmassive traffic jams.

Meanwhile, Anwar, who has been accused of sodomy by his aide, said he is prepared to go voluntarily to police to be questioned over the sodomy allegation if police ceasetrying to serve him with an order to appear.

Anwar, who has been accused of sodomy by his former aide Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, had earlier agreed to present himself voluntarily at 2 pm Monday. However, he did not turn up at the police station after he claimed Sunday that police had harassed his family in trying to serve an orderrequiring him to do so.

Anwar, who does not hold a parliamentary seat, was prevented by court from attending an attempt by opposition members to force a debate on a "crisis of confidence in the government." The opposition said there had been no plans to create "chaos" and that the massive security by the government amounted to "an evil provocation to scare the people." The opposition walked out after Parliament speakerPandikar Amin refused to allow the debate.

The debate was not the same as a no-confidence vote, and did not threaten the government's stability. But police obtained a court order barring Anwar as well as the public from coming within five kilometers of Parliament. Twenty percent of the police force was deployed today.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi defended thepolice action and blamed the opposition for the traffic jams.

"Go to a stadium and shriek and scream at the top of your voice if you want to demonstrate," Abdullah said. PTI JB AMT