Opposition leader and PAS acting chief Abdul Hadi Awang ( photo ) today criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for not practising what he preached.

While he agreed with Mahathir's criticism of the United States' for not respecting "fair play, democracy and human rights", Hadi urged the prime minister to open up more space for democracy and justice to flourish in the country.

Mahathir had said on Sunday that "there is no more justice in the world and all talk about fair play, democracy and human rights is sheer nonsense" on his return from the Asia-Europe Meeting in Copenhagen.

He was reacting to the plan by the United States and Britain to attack Iraq, although the Middle-Eastern country has agreed to allow weapons inspectors to return. The comment was also linked to last week's siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in his administrative headquarters in Ramallah by Israeli forces.

"Space for justice, liberty and democracy has to be opened wide for people to voice their opinion to the ruling government, and to allow democracy and justice take root," he said in a statement.

"If the prime minister felt this world had no justice and no democracy, the same goes with this country, in which PAS and the opposition feels there have been injustices and erosion of democracy," said Hadi, adding that the government had dealt with the opposition the way the US treated Iraq.

Militancy due to lack of democracy

He expressed concern that the lack of democracy has been the main cause in fomenting militant activities in Malaysia.

Last Friday, the government arrested a former lecturer with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Wan Min Wan Mat, under the Internal Security Act.

He was alleged to be a top leader in the Malaysia Mujahidin Group (KMM) which has connections to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which is in turn linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. JI has been accused of plotting attacks on Western targets in Singapore.

"The Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act, Universities and University Colleges Act and the Code of Good Conduct (a letter of undertaking for undergraduates) have to be abolished so that students and academic staff have more democratic space and to reduce militant action from all quarters," the opposition leader urged.

Hadi suggested that the government follow several virtues in the West where press freedom and the right to peaceful assembly is respected.

"Experience from the fall of (President Ferdinand) Marcos in the Philippines, Suharto in Indonesia and the Shah in Iran should be a lesson [to ruling leaders] on how these leaders were toppled."