Rights group Amnesty International warned today of a "culture of fear" in Malaysia stemming from human rights abuses and draconian laws discouraging free expression.

"The government is using the politics of fear to justify human rights abuses and in doing so they have effectively created a culture of fear among Malaysians," said Josef Roy Benedict, Amnesty's Malaysia executive director.

In the Malaysia chapter of its annual report, the London-based group strongly criticised the excessive use of police force to curtail free speech.

"This is a global trend. In Malaysia the police use unnecessary and excessive force to curtail dissent, especially during public protests," Benedict told AFP .

Police broke up one protest last year against sharp fuel price hikes with water cannon and arrested a number of demonstrators in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The rights watchdog also criticised a controversial volunteer corps - the Rela or People's Volunteer Corps - which was established by the government and has been accused of raiding and torturing illegal immigrants.

Amnesty also condemned the Malaysian government for using the whip to punish some people convicted of being in the country illegally.

ISA and death penalty

The country should repeal legislation that allows detention without trial and must abolish the death penalty, the rights group demanded.

The Internal Security Act allows detention without trial and imposes restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

More than 80 alleged Islamic militants are held under the Act, which allows for two-year detention periods renewable indefinitely.

The government has said the Act remains an important tool in the fight against terrorism.

"We call on the government to move forward with the reform of all restrictive laws and bring them in line with international standards," Benedict said.

Other reforms proposed by Amnesty include amendments to the Printing Presses and Publication Act, which limits press freedom, and to laws that infringe on civil liberties and the protection of refugees and asylum seekers.