Singapore: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has issued a stern warning to the ethnic Indian community, who protested last Sunday, saying that tough Internal Security Act (ISA) will be invoked to handle the street demonstrations when the situation warrants.

But under current circumstances, the Government was leaving it to the police to evaluate the situation and take appropriate measures to guarantee peace and security.

''The ISA is a preventive measure to spare the nation from untoward incidents that can harm the prevailing peace and harmony and create all sorts of adverse things,'' said Abdullah.

''So, I don't know when to invoke the ISA, but it will be there.

When it is appropriate to use it, it will be used," Abdullah, who is also the Internal Security Minister, told reporters on his return from a two-day visit to Egypt yesterday.

Responding to reports that several street demonstrations would be held in the country soon as a follow up to last Sunday's demonstration in Kuala Lumpur, which the government said was an illegal rally, he said the people have urged the Government to invoke the ISA to tackle street demonstrations.

''I am very surprised that the people want ISA. I thought they never wanted the ISA," he said in a report carried by the Malaysian national news agency, Bernama.

About 5,000 ethnic Indians protested last Sunday on ground of being marginalised in the country.

Their leaders have also filed a 4 trillion dollar lawsuit in London against the British Government for alleged failure to ensure their well-being in the adopted country, where their fore-fathers were brought as workers in the 1800s.

Source : UNI