Security high for Olympic torch's relay in Malaysia, official says

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia vowed Thursday to keep the Olympic torch run through downtown Kuala Lumpur it free from security threats.
M. Jegathesan, vice president of the Olympic Council Malaysia, said authorities are not expecting any trouble or protests of the kind that have plagued the torch run in other countries.
Still, police «are

fully aware of the challenges that this torch has faced in other situations, and they have been organizing themselves to face any of these challenges.
Jegathesan declined to say how many police officers would be deployed. He said there would be roadblocks «if necessary.
The Star daily reported 600 policemen would be involved, quoting senior police officer Jamaludin Khalid. Police could not immediately be reached to confirm.
Eighty runners will carry the torch, which arrives from Bangkok at about 2 a.m. Monday. It «will be kept in a safe place until (it is) brought to the Independence Square for the ceremony to start,» Jegathesan said.
The 16-kilometer (9.9-mile) route will lead past landmarks, ending at the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. The torch will leave Kuala Lumpur for Jakarta on Monday night.

The torch's journey through 19 cities before reaching Beijing for the Olympics has been marred by protests against China's alleged human rights abuses and the crackdown on monks in Tibet.