(AFP) Inspector General of Police Norian Mai said today that the police were still looking for several people who have evaded arrest last week.

Earlier today, the police arrested a leading opposition activist, Dr Badrul Amin Bahron, under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the eighth to be held in 10 days.

"Badrul Amin's detention did not mean the start of a new wave of arrests ... it is a follow-up to the earlier arrests," he told reporters.

Badrul Amin, a supreme council member of Keadilan, was held at his home around 2am under the ISA, which allows indefinite detention without trial.

On April 10 and 11 police used the ISA to arrest seven supporters of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, five of whom were also Keadilan members.

Amnesty International, local rights groups and lawyers have strongly criticised the use of the law.

Badrul's wife Zumrah Husni said some 20 plain-clothed policemen surrounded their house at Kepong near the capital.

"A policeman told us that he has been ordered to detain my husband under Section 8 of the ISA because there was proof that he tried to threaten national security," she said.

Computer unit seized

They searched the house and took a computer unit, a diary and Free Anwar Campaign stickers among other things, she added.

Her children "were scared because policemen behind the house were shouting for us to switch on the lights and open the door," she added.

Zumrah said police had been watching their house as well as her mother's house since last week.

She later filed a complaint to the national human rights commission. "Until now, his family members have not been told where he has been taken," she said.

The commission last week expressed "deep regrets" over the use of the ISA and urged authorities to allow families, lawyers and doctors immediate access to detainees.

Badrul, 39 is a former law lecturer at the International Islamic University in Malaysia.

Norian said last week that supporters of Anwar's reformasi movement planned violent protests, including the use of explosives and weapons, to topple Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's government.

Mahathir has repeated the allegations but opposition leaders have challenged authorities to provide proof.

Politically motivated

Lawyers for five of the detainees this week sought "habeas corpus" writs against Norian. They say the detentions are politically motivated. A judge will give his ruling Monday.

Keadilan deputy president Chandra Muzaffar described the law - originally passed to defeat a communist revolt half a century ago - as "draconian and obnoxious".

"If they continue to arrest people it shows the regime does not care about how people feel. It's a measure of how desperate they have become."

Mahathir says the ISA is necessary to preserve peace.

Asked yesterday about criticism by the rights commission, he said the government must also protect the freedom of traders whose business was disrupted by street protests.

"If they (opposition) wish to hold demonstrations in the middle of the ocean that's fine," Bernama news agency quoted him as saying.

A coalition of rights groups called the People's Manifesto Initiative said families and lawyers had still not seen the original seven detainees.

"What are the police hiding?" it said in a statement, adding there were previous documented cases of police torture of detainees.

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 challenge to Mahathir. The authorities deny the charge.