Several dozen police with shields and batons entered the compound of the national mosque in the centre of Kuala Lumpur after about 10,000 supporters of sacked finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim demonstrated outside the building.

The supporters shouted ``Reformasi'' (Reform), ``Allahu Akbar'' (God is Greatest), ``Free Anwar'' and ``Mahathir step down.'' Banners were unfurled reading ``Stop the slander'' and ``Mahathir is cruel.''

Mahathir sacked Anwar from the cabinet on September 2, saying he was morally unfit.

The former deputy prime minister and finance minister was arrested on Sunday after leading 30,000 demonstrators through the streets of the capital, starting at the same mosque.

About 10 police with flak jackets chased protesters into the mosque in the capital after they had gathered outsidefollowing Friday prayers. In deference to Moslem custom, the police removed their boots before entering the mosque.

Several dozen riot police stood on the steps leading into the mosque, a Reuters correspondent said.

Within minutes, protesters and police had left the area without any clashes. Riot police remained in the street outside the mosque.

It was the first public gathering in support of Anwar since Monday when police used tear gas and water cannon to break up a demonstration in support of the former finance minister.

Anwar was being held under the Internal Security Act, which permits indefinite detention without trial. He is under investigation for sodomy and treason, which he denies.

Police said on Thursday they expected to indict him soon for 12 sex charges and try him in open court.

At the national mosque, protesters circulated small leaflets calling on supporters of Anwar to gather peacefully on Merdeka (Freedom) Square in central Kuala Lumpur on Saturday afternoon.

The leaflets urgedAnwar's backers to gather at 5 pm (0900 GMT) on the central square and to bring Malaysian flags, white cloth or towels, cassette players and water bottles.

``There is no one leading. We are all `reformasi' leaders,'' it said. ``Everything in peace, just whisper as a sign of support.''

Anwar has not been seen in public since he was arrested at his suburban home on Sunday night. His eldest daughter went to the federal police headquarters on Friday to deliver greeting cards to her father.

Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, told reporters outside the family's home that the teenage daughter had not seen her father and had given the notes to police. The couple has six children.

``I believe my husband is doing well,'' said Wan Azizah, who this week said she feared police would inject Anwar with the virus that causes AIDS. She is under investigation for making the remark on possible grounds of sedition.

Earlier on Friday, Mahathir defended his decision to sack his former heir-apparent, calling him ahomosexual who had committed a ``big sin.''

``In the West, there are homosexual ministers who are accepted. In Malaysia we cannot accept leaders involved in strange activities,'' Mahathir told about 1,000 women members of his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Anwar has repeatedly denied allegations of sodomy and treason and, in a videotaped statement aired by US broadcaster CNBC on Thursday, he repeated his accusation that high-level conspirators had framed him to end his political career.

``It was clear they were not confident that I can be trusted to protect their interests...their ways of monopolising wealth through fraud and violence, of attaining wealth,'' Anwar said.