Annoyed that the police were less than co-operative while monitoring a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ceramah session over the weekend, party advisor Anwar Ibrahim has described the police force as more interested in being "servants of the government" than crime-busters.

On Saturday, a ceramah , organised by the party's Petaling Jaya South division at Taman Medan was interrupted by police, who set up road blocks and barricades.

"I was scheduled to speak at a ceramah . The division had applied for a police permit for the event. Yet, this was refused," said Anwar in a statement today.

He said Federal Reserve Unit had set up road blocks along roads leading to the venue, while hundreds of police personnel and local authority officers had barricaded the venue.

"Nevertheless, over 3,000 members of the public defied the police intimidation and attended the ceramah . When I arrived, the police did not want to allow anyone to speak all. After pressuring the police, they relented and I spoke for 20 minutes to the crowd," his statement reads.

Describing the police as constantly complaining of constraints in terms of time and human resources, he noted that "surely these limitations become more acute when their resources are used to prevent the activities of legitimate political parties".

"The police should focus on their main responsibility of preventing crime and guaranteeing the safety of ordinary Malaysians," he said.

Anwar cited the armed robbery at Subang Parade last Saturday night, that left two security guards dead, as an example of the escalating crime rate.

"While the police are more interested in becoming servants to the government in an effort to oppress the opposition, Malaysia's crime rate has risen dramatically," he said.

Tool of government

Anwar also condemned the arrests of protestors over the weekend during a toll hike protest and said the police should be combatting crime and protecting the public, "not oppressing the people."

Last Sunday, police arrested 15 protestors, among them PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah and party information chief Tian Chua, during a protest in front of IOI Mall in Puchong.

To date, four protests have been held against the increase in toll charges imposed from Jan 1 - the first was in front of Sunway Pyramid on Jan 7 and the second at the KL-Karak highway toll plaza on Jan 14.

Police began making arrests during the third protest at the Cheras-Karang highway, two weeks ago.

"It is unfortunate that the police continue to resort to using fear and intimidation as they become nothing but a tool of the government," Anwar added.

"The police state may have started by (former premier) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad). Yet, for all his lip service towards transparency, accountability and openness, the prime minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has not dismantled the oppressive apparatuses of the state and continues to use these to mask his weaknesses."