Pressure mounted on a tight-lipped government today as former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim fasted, and six detained supporters pressed ahead with a hunger strike.

Anwar is fasting from sunrise to sunset but is taking water and milk after dark because he is on medication for flu and back pain, said Raja Petra Kamarudin, director of the Free Anwar Campaign.

Anwar began his fast Sunday in solidarity with six of his supporters who launched a hunger strike on April 10, the first anniversary of their detention without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The six, who are accused of planning to use violence to topple Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, are pressing to be tried in open court or released.

The ISA allows indefinite detention without trial.

They stopped taking liquids on Monday after one of them, Badrulamin Bahron, was denied hospitalisation by authorities at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak, their supporters said.

The other five are Mohamad Ezam Mohamad Nor, Hishamuddin Rais, Chua Tian Chang, Saari Sungib and Lokman Noor Adam.

"Those inside the detention centre will continue their hunger strike," Low Chee Chong, deputy youth chief Keadilan told reporters.

Totally irresponsible

Low said he was unable to give any indication of their condition because no family members or lawyers had been allowed to see them in recent days.

Zumrah Husni, wife of detainee Badrulamin, told AFP that her husband and Hishamuddin had been admitted into the camp hospital late Tuesday and are on an intravenous glucose drip but they have refused to eat anything.

"I met my husband for an hour. He was glad to meet me. But he is weak," she said in a telephone interview from Kemunting.

Zumrah said Ezam informed her that he and three other detainees were continuing with their hunger strike.

Aishah Osman, 55, who is Ezam's mother, earlier said that she supported her son's hunger strike.

"Death is not in our hands. It is in the hands of God. If God has decided that it happens, we accept it. But our struggle will continue," she said.

Pressure is mounting on the government to break its silence over the hunger strike.

Devoid of compassion

Elizabeth Wong, secretary-general of the National Human Rights society, accused the government of being devoid of compassion and "totally irresponsible" by remaining silent.

"We demand their immediate release," she told AFP .

The Abolish ISA Movement of activists issued a statement noting that parliament in Britain, the former colonial power, passed a motion on Tuesday calling for the release of the six. It also pointed out that Amnesty International describes them as "prisoners of conscience".

Teng Chang Khim, a lawmaker for the opposition Democratic Action Party asked in a statement: "Must a thousand cries be uttered before the government stop turning a deaf ear to them?"

Anwar, who is serving 15 years in jail after being convicted in separate trials of abuse of power and sodomy, has said he was framed to avert a political threat to Mahathir, who denies the charge.