(AFP) - Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended the use of a feared security law to detain without trial 10 people and denied it was a crackdown against the opposition.

The 10, including the son of the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia's (PAS) spiritual leader, were detained last week under the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows indefinite detention without trial.

At least five others are also PAS members.

They were detained on suspicion of being members of a "Mujahideen Group" who received military training in Afghanistan and were waging a "holy war" in Malaysia.

Mahathir said the arrests were not politically motivated.