The streets of the capital were calm on Monday after tens of thousands of people defied a government ban on Sunday in the town of Gombak just outside Kuala Lumpur to demand reforms, following the arrest of sacked deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

The gathering marked the launch of a coalition of about a dozen political parties and religious and human rights groups to demand reforms. Senior members of Mahathir Mohamad's ruling party on Monday said there was an urgent need to expel dissident members. ``A majority of members will be happy if negative elements in the party are expelled,'' a senior member of United Malaysia's National Organisation (UMNO) said.

He said that those currently detained under the Internal Security Act along with Ibrahim would be purged from the party. Another UMNO member said theparty would split if members who openly disagree with the party line are allowed to stay. UMNO Youth, however, will organise a 100,000-strong youth gathering at the Bukit Jalil stadium on October 10. Mahathir warned on Friday that Anwar would only be brought to court if his supporters did not ``riot'' in his support.