(AFP) Students who take part in anti-government protests will face expulsion, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has warned.

Mahathir, quoted by Sunday newspapers and Bernama news agency, said students who engage in activities "unrelated to their studies" would be sacked.

"Public funds should not be wasted on those who do not utilise them as they should be," he told reporters yesterday.

In an earlier speech the premier warned students not to stage street demonstrations or have other objectives other than pursuing an education.

It was Mahathir's second warning in a week to students to shun anti-government protests.

Earlier this month police arrested two student leaders under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial.

Students have played a prominent role in a series of "Reformasi" (reform) protests following the sacking and jailing of Mahathir's former deputy Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.

Apart from the students, six of Anwar's supporters are being held in a prison camp for up to two years under the ISA.