(AFP) Police chief Norian Mai said today that eight people, including at least four PAS members, have been detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The eight were arrested under the ISA on suspicion of being members of a group waging an Islamic "holy war", said Norian.

"All of them have undergone holy war or military training in Afghanistan," Norian was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

The men, aged between 32 and 45, were arrested in the states of Terengganu, Perak, Kedah and Johor, he said, adding this was a follow-up to a police swoop on the group since May.

Police have arrested then nine members of the group suspected of involvement in nine crimes over the past two years -- including robbery and bombing a church and Indian temple -- to create a purist Islamic society.

Norian said there could be more arrests as investigations showed the foreign-inspired group had more than 50 members in Malaysia.

The ISA arrests followed a ban on open-air political gatherings imposed two weeks ago on grounds of national security.

Act of revenge

PAS president Fadzil Noor said the arrests could be a "revenge" by the authorities against PAS' firm stand to push ahead with its rallies.

"The government is unable to curb this wave of protest against their wrongdoings and is taking the easy way out by using the ISA to threaten and scare the people," he said in a statement.

But Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said PAS was provoking arrests of its members so that the government could be accused of being undemocratic and a police state.

He said there were reports that PAS was organising 100 rallies daily, mainly aimed at spreading lies and slander against the government.

"If they just campaign, it is alright, but they get people agitated because their campaigns are centred on hatred for the government," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

"Although we allow freedom of speech, it has its limits ... this is extreme politics and is not intended to develop the nation."

Fears of crackdown

Rights group Suaram condemned the latest ISA arrests and the ban on assemblies, saying it showed the government has "lost all sanity and rationality".

"A government which uses repression to govern is a clear indicator that it has lost the confidence of the people," it said in a statement.

"Suaram fears a bigger massive crackdown is just around the corner because insecure government will always use force to stay in power."