Simon Ingram in Kuala Lumpur: "The police say Mr Anwar is safe and sound"

The Inspector General of Police, Abdul Rahim Noor, defended the decision to detain Mr Anwar and 15 others under the terms of Malaysia's Internal Security Act.

Lawyers for Mr Anwar, who was arrested on suspicion of sexual misconduct and inciting public unrest, say they are being denied access to their client and are still unaware of the charges he is likely to face.

Mr Anwar is expected to be charged with sexual misconduct

His family insist the allegations are false and he has said a smear campaign is being orchestrated against him.

And in a dramatic video broadcast on a Singapore-based TV channel Mr Anwar accused Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of plotting his downfall.

In the video, recorded just hours before his arrest on Sunday, Mr Anwar said: "I did not expect him to act in such a cruel and almost insane way.

"(It's) just because he is afraid that I know too much ... and too much may be exposed."

Media attacked

Both the prime minister and the Inspector General of Police have attacked the coverage of events in Malaysia by Western media.

Simon Ingram: "Anwar savages all-powerful prime mnister"

Dr Mahathir accused the media of broadcasting lies.

Abdul Rahim Noor said foreign media were exaggerating the extent of the disturbances in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week.

Tear gas and water cannons were used to break up riots

Malaysian police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protests by thousands of Mr Anwar's supporters.

The police chief said Western journalists had hoped the unrest would escalate when in fact the situation was "back to normal".

He added that Mr Anwar would be charged very soon.

The Information Ministry has forbidden foreign broadcasters from using government satellite facilities, which were provided for coverage of the Commonwealth Games and the Queen's visit to Malaysia but were used to show the violence.

Wife in sedition probe

Malaysian police meanwhile have sealed off Mr Anwar's home and are questioning his wife, Wan Azizah Ismail, about alleged sedition.

The police action follows an interview in which Wan Azizah said she feared that the police might inject her husband with the HIV virus in order to prove allegations of sexual misconduct.

Mr Anwar's lawyer, Sulaiman Abdullaa: "So far we've not seen any case"

Dr Mahathir responded by saying: "We never did this before, so why would we do it now?"

Dr Mahathir has accused his former deputy of inciting public unrest with the intention of destabilising the country.

Our correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Simon Ingram, says Dr Mahathir's government is determined to throttle the political reform campaign Mr Anwar was spearheading in the weeks prior to his detention.