Scores of demonstrators who demanded an end to Malaysia's decades-old security law are still being held by police, a day after authorities put down the country's biggest protest in nearly two years ... the demonstrators had gathered in the Malaysian capital to protest against a security law that allows detention without trial, but were dispersed by police using water cannons and tear gas ... witnesses estimated that as many as 20,000 demonstrators took to the streets for the protest against Malaysia's Internal Security Act (ISA) on Saturday.

Malaysian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons in clashes with several thousand antigovernment demonstrators who gathered in Kuala Lumpur Saturday to protest a long-standing law allowing detention without trial, raising the stakes in a long-running struggle for political power in the resource-rich but divided country.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The city centre was plunged into chaos by the protest yesterday, with protesters gathering at various places and police firing tear gas and water cannons. Many shops had to pull down the shutters and with Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman closed to traffic, many businesses claimed to be badly affected. However, tourists and curious onlookers had a fun time, walking in the middle of the road and taking photographs ...