PUTRAJAYA: The public should not speculate on whether Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be arrested under the Internal Security Act, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said.

"If he wants to threaten Umno and stop Barisan Nasional from being the Government, that is politics, it has nothing to do with the police," he told reporters after visiting the KL International Airport's main terminal and the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal here yesterday.

Syed Hamid said this when asked if it was the duty of the police to arrest Anwar under the ISA.

When asked if he believed that Anwar was a threat to national security and the economy as stated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he said: "Insofar as security matters are concerned, it is not a subject we speculate nor we debate."

On rumours that there was a list of people going to be detained under the ISA, Syed Hamid said there was no such list, calling it ridiculous.

He said he had also received an SMS stating that Anwar had met the King and taken oath as the next Prime Minister, adding that such SMSes were the doing of irresponsible people.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has issued a warning against those who spread rumours of a government takeover.

"These are rumours spread by unscrupulous individuals," he said.

He urged the public not to believe those SMSes and advise them to call the CPOs and OCPDs of the state or district for more information.

"The CPOs and OCPDs should know better about what is happening in their areas," he said at Bukit Aman.

Ismail said that they were investigating those who sent out such SMSes and rumours.

In Johor Baru, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang called on Abdullah to give assurance that the ISA would not be used on Anwar or other Pakatan Rakyat leaders.