Police break up protest rally

Police wielding canes and backed by water have broken up a rally of about 500 people against Malaysia's longtime leader Mahathir Mohamed.

The protest came amid warnings by a main opposition party that it would step up rallies to highlight alleged abuses in the Government and in support of ousted Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Three people were arrested for allegedly assaulting policemen during the protest in Kuala Lumpur, while the opposition accused police of assaulting several protesters.

Scores of people began gathering outside a police station, blocking a main street, as opposition leaders arrived to lodge a complaint against Mohtar Abdullah, a supreme court judge and former Attorney-General.

Within 30 minutes, the crowd swelled to about 500 and chanted Reformasi - the opposition battle cry for reform - and Destroy Mahathir. They ignored repeated warnings by police to break up.

The complaint alleges that Mohtar, who prosecuted Anwar in two controversial trials, did not bring charges for alleged corruption against several prominent figures including a Cabinet minister despite sufficient evidence.

Over the past week, hundreds of special police units have been deployed in the northern states of Kedah and Penang, where massive opposition rallies were held.

On Tuesday, police fired tear gas and chemical-laced water to disperse about 5,000 people at a rally in Kubang Pasu, Mahathir's parliamentary constituency.

The Justice Party, led by Anwar's wife Azizah Ismail, has vowed to defy police and step up protests against Mahathir - who sacked Anwar in 1998.

Anwar was convicted of sodomy and corruption charges and given jail sentences totalling 15 years. He said the charges were trumped up by Mahathir to extinguish a challenge to his 19-year rule in Malaysia.