Riot police clashed with supporters of jailed former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim when they attempted to break up a rally in Teluk Intan, Perak, an official from Anwar's party said yesterday.

In the incident which occurred late Saturday, dozens of riot police using with water cannons barged into a hall where Anwar's party Keadilan were conducting a rally, Keadilan Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor told AFP .

"They asked us to disperse and when we refused, they switched off the lights and started pushing people out and even hitting some of us," he said.

Several of the 1,000-strong crowd, which included women and children, were injured, he said.

At least four party leaders were arrested and held overnight, only to be released yesterday morning with no charges filed against them, he said.

"These are very repressive moves and it's clear Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is trying to ensure the Anwar Ibrahim issue is not highlighted again especially with the elections coming up," Ezam said.

"Abdullah is panicking, he is afraid. Just because we are touching on the Anwar issue, the police have been ordered to harass us Gestapo-style, even though we are holding the rally in our own party premises," he said.

"He's talking about democracy and reforming the police all the time, but it does not mean anything when the police are harassing us. We are a registered political party. These are double standards," he said.

Perak police have refused to confirm any details.

Rally continues

Ezam said Keadilan, headed by Anwar's wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and the Free Anwar Movement would continue as planned with a cross-country convoy of up to a hundred vehicles handing out leaflets calling for Anwar's freedom despite police roadblocks.

The month-long event is due to culminate in a mass rally in Anwar's home state of Penang on Feb 14.

The planned demonstrations in a country with limited tolerance for open dissent are the first challenge to Abdullah, who took over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he retired Oct 31 after 22 years in power.

Former heir-apparent Anwar was sacked by Mahathir in 1998 and later sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison for corruption and sodomy in what he says was a move to prevent him from making a challenge for the premiership.

His supporters wanted him freed on bail before general elections due this year but the Court of Appeal last week dismissed his application. - AFP