Malaysia asks Interpol help to find missing detective
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police on Sunday issuedan international alert for a missing private eye after he made,and abruptly retracted, allegations about the deputy primeminister's links to a high-profile murder case.
The detective, Balasubramaniam Perumal, disappeared alongwith his wife and three children on Friday after retracting anallegation that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak had sexualrelations with the murder victim.
The allegation was the latest twist in a politicalmelodrama -- featuring allegations of sex, murder and lies --that has gripped the nation and unnerved foreign investorssince a March 8 general election handed a resurgent oppositionled by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim unprecedented gains.
Anwar, mired in a sodomy allegation that rocked the nation,told a 20,000-strong crowd at a rally protesting fuel pricehikes that he was willing to debate the issue with the primeminister or his deputy.
"It is better if I debate with the PM," said Anwar, who wasearlier scheduled to hold a televised debate with a juniorminister on July 15 on the subject.
Thousands of people, defying police orders to shun therally, had gathered at a soccer stadium outside Kuala Lumpur. Apolice helicopter hovered above the stadium.
"Azizah, Kit Siang and other MPs will stand in parliamenttomorrow to demand a reduction in fuel prices. They will conveythe wishes of the people," he told the crowd. He was referringto opposition leaders Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Lim Kit Siang.
Police have declared the event an illegal gathering but areallowing it to proceed as long as the rally is confined to thestadium grounds, officials said.
Anwar told the crowd that he would press ahead until hisopposition alliance ousts the National Front coalition that hasruled the country since independence from Britain in 1957.
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The Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibu, 28, was shot inthe head twice before her body was blown up with C4 explosivesin October 2006. Najib's political adviser, Abdul RazakBaginda, and two policemen are on trial for the murder.
Najib has repeatedly denied he ever had a sexualrelationship with the Mongolian, or had conspired to cover upher murder, allegations made on Thursday by Balasubramaniam,who was working for Abdul Razak at the time of the killing.
National Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID)chief Bakri Zinin said on Sunday police in Malaysia andneighbouring countries had been put on alert to findBalasubramaniam, and Interpol had been informed.
"I give a guarantee of his safety, if he comes to meet us,and he is free to bring a lawyer," Bakri told a newsconference.
Najib and Anwar are competing to become Malaysia's nextprime minister with control over a political patronage systemthat dominates the economy. Both are battling accusations thatcould ruin their political careers.
The rally, which ended at almost 11 p.m. ( 4 p.m. Britishtime), had a convivial atmosphere with most people wearing redT-shirts, the colour of the protest movement.
The crowd, who chanted "Bring Down Oil Prices", also askedPrime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down.
"I love Anwar ... he is innocent and he is our hope," said35-year-old computer executive Mohamad Amran Amiruddin.
"Oil has gone up. Goods have gone up. People are left withless money," said Faridah Jantan, 48, mother of five children."This weekend we will take up the fight. We want a moredemocratic nation."
Abdullah's government raised petrol prices 41 percent lastmonth, adding to its unpopularity after the opposition wonpower in five of Malaysia's states and came within 30 seats oftaking over the 222-member national parliament.
Anwar said he was on the verge of winning that majority inparliament by wooing defectors from the ruling coalition when a23-year-old aide suddenly accused him of sodomy, a crimepunishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Anwar said on Thursday the sodomy allegations surfacedbecause leading government figures feared he would use thedetective's statements in the Altantuya case in his drive tolead the opposition to power for the first time in Malaysia.
(Writing by Bill Tarrant and Jalil Hamid; Editing byDominic Evans)