Last week, Mohamad Ezam Mohamed Nor, Anwar's former political secretary, announced that Anwar has at least six boxes of classified government documents overseas. He added that the documents were provided by sympathetic top civil servants and contained proof of corruption by government leaders.

Following this announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi immediately directed the police to investigate claims.

Anwar, who is now serving a six-year jail term for corrupt practices, had also made similar threats claiming that he had secret documents against the government, following his sacking last September.

He has since filed three police reports of corruption against Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and other leaders, and submitted what he claimedwere private government documents and letters to prove his allegations.

Mohamed Ezam's statement unleashed an uproar among Mahathir's ruling party politicians, who slammed the action as unheard of in Malaysian politics and unbecoming of a man who had been tipped to rule the country.

"I am shocked that our people are willing to betray their own country by taking out the secret documents and this clearly goes to show the type of leadership Anwar would have provided if he were to lead the country," said International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz, who is one of the accused named by Anwar of corruption.

Deputy minister Ibrahim Ali suggested that the government enact a treason act which would award death sentence to offenders as well for those who discredited the nation abroad. Reacting to this Mahathir said Anwar's claims only showed that he had conspired while in office to topple the government.

Anwar, who is now on trial for sodomy, has claimed his sacking and the accusations against himwere part of a high-level conspiracy involving government leaders, the police and the state prosecutors.

The pro-government New Straits Times, in its editorial on Monday, called Anwar's action a politically motivated "act of betrayal" which hardly smacked of an "odour of heroism". "...It is in pursuit of one man's vengeance without ostensible regard for national security or interest," the English-language daily said.

Under Malaysia's Official Secrets Act, classified government documents cannot be published or handled by the unauthorised. Offenders can be jailed, and journalists have been fined in the past.

However, Anwar's supporters defended his actions, with his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, saying it was done in the nation's interest.

Opposition leader and Anwar's lawyer Karpal Singh, said it was premature for the government to decide the documents were classified, adding that the "panic" shown by some leaders so far indicated the documents might reveal evidence of criminal offences.

Someruling politicians felt Anwar's claims were a mere pre-election tactic, as Mahathir was expected to call for fresh polls within the next few months ahead of next June's deadline.