He said outsiders should wait for the courts to decide Mr Anwar's fate.

"Maybe in their countries it's not the courts who decide, maybe it's the mobs on the streets who decide," Dr Mahathir said, alluding to the May riots in Indonesia that swept former President Suharto from power.

Supporters of Mr Anwar continue to demand the PM's resignation

Dr Mahathir maintained that Malaysia's judiciary was independent of the government, and he accused countries like America of hypocrisy, saying they preached justice, while discriminating against minorities.

Dr Mahathir's comments came after the American Assistant Secretary of State, Stanley Roth, said Mr Anwar had been treated in a horrifying way.

Police 'beatings'

There has been widespread international concern at the conditions in which Mr Anwar is being held after his arrest last month .

He appeared in court with a black eye and other bruising which he said were the result of police beatings.

Earlier, the Philippine President, Joseph Estrada, met Mr Anwar's 18-year-old daughter, to underline his personal support for the jailed politician.

A statement from the presidential palace said Mr Estrada had urged Mr Anwar to "remain unwavering in his fight," and had expressed the hope "things would end happily for his friend."

Mr Anwar alleges he was beaten by police after his arrest

The Philippine Press Under Secretary, Icasiano Gutierrez, stressed that the views were Mr Estrada's personal concerns and not national policy.

Mr Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar is also reported to have met the Indonesian President, BJ Habibie, earlier this month.

Correspondents say the meetings are likely to further strain ties between Malaysia and its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbours, who traditionally refrain from comment on each other's internal affairs.

Mr Estrada and Mr Habibie have both come out in support of Mr Anwar.

Mr Anwar will strand trial on four out of five charges of corruption beginning on 2 November. He has also been charged with five counts of illegal homosexual acts.