But Mr Anwar's trial on corruption charges has now been adjourned until Tuesday following the scare.

The colonial-era building in the centre of Kuala Lumpur was evacuated shortly after a workman on his lunch break reported finding a device which he said he heard ticking.

Police then carried out a controlled exlosion on a suspicious-looking box.

It was later discovered to have been an electronic device belonging to the meteorological department attached to a weather balloon that had accidentally landed on the court building.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Kamaruddin Ali said: "Because it was making sound - there is a transmitter inside there - the person who found it thought it was a bomb, so we had to explode it."

The police say the device was neither a hoax, nor was it dangerous.

Anwar injuries inquiry

Mr Anwar's injuries sparked alarm in Malaysia and abroad

Earlier, an independent commission of inquiry held its first hearing into the beating of Mr Anwar while in police custody.

The independent commission was set up after a police investigation failed to identify the police officers responsible for assaulting Mr Anwar on the night of his arrest last September.

The commission, comprising two former judges and a doctor, is holding its inquiry in public and has asked to call Mr Anwar as a witness. He is expected to appear on Tuesday.

Correspondent Frances Harrison: "Report will go straight to the king"

But since the former minister says he was blindfolded at the time of his assault, it is not known whether he will be able to identify the officers responsible.

Mr Anwar has said that following his arrest on charges of corruption and sexual misconduct he was handcuffed, beaten unconscious and denied medical treatment for days afterwards.

The assault only became publicly known when Mr Anwar made his first appearance in court with a bruised eye.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad initially suggested the injuries of his former deputy might have been self-inflicted.

Police responsible

The beating has harmed the credibility of the police

A police investigation found that police were responsible but did not name individuals.

This finding sparked calls for Dr Mahathir's resignation from his additional post as Home Affairs Minister - in charge of the police.

The prime minister used a cabinet reshuffle to pass the Home Affairs Ministry to his new deputy, and finally conceded the demand for an inquiry.

But concern remains that the incident has tarnished the reputation of the police who re recently announced plans to send 11,000 officers on public relations courses intended to make the force more "people-friendly".

The BBC's Correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Frances Harrison, says the findings of the inquiry could inflame public sentiment further.