Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim warns of rising repressionin the country as a new prime minister takes office this week.
DeputyPrime Minister Najib Razak is expected to take over Thursday as primeminister of Malaysia, when Abdullah Badawi steps down.
ButMalaysian opposition-leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters in Bangkokthat recent developments suggest the Najib administration could usherin a further stifling of dissent and a return to the authoritarianstyle of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
"We can onlypoint out to the statements he has made, measures like banningnewspapers, threatening tough measures the moment he took over thepresidency [of his party, UMNO]," he said. "That is why the oppositionPeople's Alliance views this with great consternation that Datuk SeriNajib represents the old order."
The government recently shutdown two opposition newspapers for three months, preventing them fromreporting on a series of high profile events, a hotly contestedby-election in Perak state on April 7 and the verdict in a sensationalmurder case involving a close aide of Najib Razak two days later.
NajibRazak is seen as a protégé of Mahathir Mohamad. In an interview withthe French news agency AFP, Mahathir said he expects Najib to governmore firmly than Mr. Abdullah, who was seen as a moderate.
Mr.Abdullah's exit came a year after the United Malays NationalOrganization suffered its worst electoral defeat, losing more than athird of the seats in Parliament.
Opposition-leader Anwar wasonce UMNO's rising star, until he was fired by Mahathir Mohamad in 1998and jailed on charges of corruption and sexual misconduct. He wasreleased in 2004.
After the United Malays National Organizationpoor showing last year, the three-party opposition People's Alliancewas close to taking control of parliament - which could have opened theway for Anwar Ibrahim to become prime minister.
Theby-election in Perak state next week pits candidates from the Islamicparty and the United Malays National Organization in what is seen as anearly referendum on the Najib government.
But Anwar says with Najib Razak as prime minister, it would be a tougher battle to wrest control of Parliament.
"Howdo you enter elections where you do not even have one minute ontelevision? I have been the leader of the opposition since August. Not one interview, not one minute on the Malaysian media," he noted.
AnwarIbrahim is in Bangkok until Tuesday and will meet Thai Prime MinisterAbhisit Vejjajiva and other officials. Anwar and Mr. Abhisit areexpected to discuss cooperation in addressing the Muslim insurgency insouthern Thailand, which borders Malaysia. Anwar called for greaterengagement, rather a purely military solution, to end the continuedviolence there.