Malaysia's opposition leader said yesterday he believed the embattled Prime Minister, Mr Mahathir Mohamad, planned to call a snap election soon.
The Democratic Action Party leader, Mr Lim Kit Siang, said parliament's announcement on Thursday that it would reconvene for a special sitting next week signalled Mr Mahathir's intention.
General elections need not be called until April 2000, but the opposition leader said he felt parliament was being recalled so that Mr Mahathir could "clear the decks" for an early poll.
Parliament will sit to debate several bills on the securities industry, but Mr Lim said: "The only explanation is that there is a special rush to meet a certain deadline.
"And the only reason I can think of is to clear the decks for a dissolution of parliament and the holding of snap general elections next month or early November."
Mr Mahathir's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) is the largest component of the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition. The Barisan has a four-fifths majority in parliament.
But Mr Mahathir, who has guided Malaysia through years of rapid economic growth with an authoritarian hand, now faces extraordinary political unrest and a sick economy.
His decision to sack and arrest his deputy, Mr Anwar Ibrahim, on allegations of sexual misconduct this month has brought thousands of Mr Anwar's supporters on to the streets demanding Mr Mahathir quit.
Mr Lim called on Mr Mahathir on Friday to release Mr Anwar so he could attend parliament next week. He said it was clear there were sharp differences over economic policy between Mr Mahathir and Mr Anwar, arrested last Sunday amid allegations of sedition and sodomy.
Mr Mahathir (73) said it was "disgusting" to see men kiss men in foreign countries.
He made the remark as he justified his clampdown on Mr Anwar's reform movement to a conference of 1,000 women from his ruling United Malays National Organisation.
"We cannot have a leader who is easily swayed by his lust. Our nation will lose its independence. Do we want a leader who can break our party?" he said.
"If we have a leader who is carried away by his lust, he can be easily used by foreign powers. They can easily control him."
Mr Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister and finance minister on September 2nd. He was detained last Sunday as he led a mounting campaign for reform and for Mr Mahathir to stand down. There were two days of clashes in Kuala Lumpur this week.
Mr Mahathir has accused Mr Anwar of being a "sodomist" who is unfit to rule the country. Mr Anwar is expected to face charges of sodomy, which is illegal in Malaysia.
Mr Mahathir also accused Mr Anwar of inciting "Jakarta-style" riots.
"There were some Indonesians and Afghans during Sunday's riots. Anwar thought by forcing daily riots in Malaysia he could bring down the administration. Then there would not be a court hearing and he would be freed."
Mr Mahathir said the unrest threatened the ruling party and again hit out at foreign journalists.
"We must think deeply about the problems faced by Malaysia. If we get influenced by the foreign media, UMNO will break up. We face problems that can cause UMNO to fall."
Indonesia's former president, Gen Suharto, yesterday handed a list of his assets to investigators who are investigating allegations he amassed a fortune through corruption during his 32-year rule and hid it overseas.
The Attorney General, Mr Muhammad Ghalib, said Gen Suharto had also handed over a draft letter authorising the investigators to examine any overseas bank accounts under his name, though the former president has insisted he does not have "even one cent" hoarded abroad.
Suharto, dressed in a batik shirt, arrived at the Attorney General's office in a four-wheel-drive vehicle after attending a mosque for Friday prayers.