Hundreds of Anwar Ibrahim's allies shouted angrily, "God is great!" and "Long live Anwar!" shaking their fists as police led him away from the house where he had conducted almost two weeks of protest rallies against the 17-year rule of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
The violence sullied a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II, who worshiped at a church not far from a mass opposition rally yesterday and was to meet with Mahathir today.
Anwar, once Mahathir's handpicked successor, is now his principal foe. His arrest appeared to be an attempt to thwart the kind of large-scale protests earlier this year that led to the ousting of Indonesia's President Suharto.
Mahathir became Asia's longest-serving leader after Suharto was forced out in May after 32 years by violent protests against alleged government corruption and a severe economic crisis.
Anwar was led away yesterday from his home and pushed into a van by police carrying assault rifles and firing tear gas to break up the crowd.
Helmeted special reserve police, armed with assault rifles, parked jeeps in front of Anwar's house and blocked off roads in the well-heeled neighborhood to prevent his supporters from marching after the van.
Also arrested was Roslan Kassim, a northern state youth-wing leader from the ruling party, who was in the house during an Anwar news conference.
Matthew Moore, a journalist with Australia's Sydney Morning Herald, said when police came through the door, "They jumped on me, screamed at me and knocked me down." He said they demanded his tape recorder and notebook at gunpoint.
09-21-98
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