Police today arrested six senior members of the Chinese-based opposition Democratic Action Party for distributing leaflets criticising Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's announcement that Malaysia is an Islamic state.

DAP national spokesman Ronnie Liu, who was one of the six arrested, said the police did not give any reasons before swooping in and picking up the opposition supporters early today.

"This is such an unnecessary move, and there were no reasons for our arrests," Liu told AFP .

He said the six were immediately released after having their statements recorded, adding that the early morning distribution exercise outside a market in Klang, west of the capital Kuala Lumpur, was carried out "peacefully and orderly", and involved some 50 opposition supporters.

Broken no laws

"We have broken no laws and our arrests were just to keep us away from the people and silence us.

"But we plan to come back and continue distributing the leaflets. It is simply upholding our democratic rights," said Liu.

DAP chief Lim Kit Siang, who himself was arrested in June and July for a similar offence, has said the police interventions reflected the government's inability to accept criticisms.

The question of Islam's role in government has become central to politics in this multicultural country since Mahathir declared in September that Malaysia was an "Islamic state".

DAP has objected to this definition as unconstitutional, saying it could make non-Muslims second-class citizens.

Muslims make up 60 percent of Malaysia's 23 million people. — AFP