A team led by a police officer from Malaysia's southern state of Malacca, who was not previously involved in the case, will question other officers who were assigned to interrogate Anwar Ibrahim, the 51-year-old dissident and former No. 2 leader.

Anwar, with a black welt around his left eye, displayed bruises in court at an arraignment on Tuesday and Wednesday, saying he was beaten by police on September 20, the night of his arrest at his Kuala Lumpur home.

Mahathir, 72, initially suggested that Anwar's facial, neck and arm wounds were self-inflicted in an act to gain public sympathy.

The Malaysian leader ordered the probe, however, after recent pictures showing Anwar with numerous welts and bruises raised questions at home and abroad about his treatment while incustody.

But the New Straits Times daily reported it was not known whether or not any timetable for the investigation.

On Thursday, United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan said in a message to Mahathir that Anwar's case should be handled in accordance with the rule of law.

Annan also said he was heartened by Mahathir's pledge to investigate allegations of physical abuse against Anwar.

World Bank president James Wolfensohn, meanwhile, said he was troubled by the recent photographs of Anwar, adding that the former deputy leader was to have played a key role at upcoming international economic meetings.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Wolfensohn called ``Anwar a friend who had a real position in our group. I hope the world keeps an eye on him and he gets a chance to state his case.''

Anwar conducted nationwide rallies calling for Mahathir's resignation and thousands of Malaysians have continued the protests in Kuala Lumpur since his arrest.

More street rallies and protests wereanticipated after today prayers at mosques in the capital of Muslim-dominated Malaysia.

Meanwhile Malaysia's Bar Council, apparently angered by police questioning of a defense attorney who accompanied Anwar's wife to a police station on Thursday, called for a meeting of lawyers.

The October 10 meeting will discuss the detentions under the ISA, an British colonial law that it described as ``an obnoxious piece of legislation undermining fundamental human rights, basic democratic principles and the rule of law.''

The council demanded that ``members of the bar who are acting in the defense of their clients be allowed to carry out their duties freely without any harassment, hindrance or restrain by the authorities.''

Anwar's wife was summoned to police headquarters yesterday for the third time to answer questions about a television interview expressing fears for her husband's health. Police also interrogated her lawyer, and travelled to Singapore to question the CNBC Asia journalists who interviewedher.