Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today defended the police in arresting 23 people, including three opposition leaders, who participated in a gathering in Petaling Jaya last night.

He said that the police had valid reasons to act against the 23.

"Police must have reasons to do that," he told reporters after chairing the National Innovation Council meeting in Parliament today.

More than 300 people attended the gathering last night to commemorate the first anniversary of the rally organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih).

Similarly Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar also had said that the police had to act to maintain public order.

The three opposition leaders arrested were Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San.

They were released on police bail this morning.

Culture of innovation

Earlier, Abdullah in launching the Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM), said he wanted concerted efforts to be taken to build a culture of innovation among Malaysians.

He said this was important towards realising Malaysia as a developed nation and that the culture should be developed at all levels, in schools, higher education centres, at the workplace and both in urban and rural areas.

"It should be focused in areas where Malaysians are strong at," he told reporters, according to a Bernama report.