At least 600 police personnel are manning roadblocks along major roads leading to Parliament, resulting in massive traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

parliament building police blockade 140708 06 The roadblocks are in anticipation of protests ahead of a possible debate of no confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.

Scores of police trucks and jeeps were seen in different locations throughout the city - some containing Light Strike Force (LSF) units - from almost all the district police stations in Kuala Lumpur and around the Klang Valley.

Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians had given notice of an urgent motion to debate Abdullah’s leadership last Friday.

parliament building police blockade 140708 16 While the opposition coalition has denied calling for a protest outside Parliament House today, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and party supporters had earlier expressed their intention to hear the no-confidence debate today.

However, the police yesterday obtained a court order barring Anwar from a 5km radium of the building.

The court order - posted prominently around the area - will allow the police to arrest Anwar or his supporters on sight if they are spotted in the area.

parliament building police blockade 140708 07 Barbed wire has been place on both shoulders of Jalan Parlimen, which was guarded by a combination of about 100 LSF, uniformed and plainclothes personnel.

House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia will decide today whether to allow the debate to go ahead.

Reporters barred

A number of journalists who arrived in Parliament this morning were initially stopped from entering the building and were told to wait at the end of the access road.

parliament building police blockade 140708 02 Those barred were said to be without the official Information Ministry press accreditation.

However, foreign reporters and those who work for international news agencies, despite bearing the official press passes, were also not allowed in.

Inside Parliament, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar was reported to have apologised to the public for the inconvenience caused by the roadblocks, but insisted that it was for security purposes.

Many reporters and photographers waiting outside, however, were heard asking what security threat they posed so as to result in being denied entry.

parliament building police blockade 140708 05 At 10.45am, Parliament chief administrator Kamaruddin Baria, Backbenchers Club leader Tiong King Sing and deputy Bung Mokhtar Radin came out to negotiate with the police.

Eventually, Kamaruddin announced that all reporters with the government press tags, including foreign journalists, and those with a letter of authorisation from Parliament, would be permitted to enter the building.

No demonstrators were in sight this morning.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohd Sabtu Osman has described today's operation as a success.

He said at a press conference at the city's police headquarters this afternoon that the roadblocks manned by 1,600 police had stop the opposition protest from taking place.

Mohd Sabtu said that the roadblocks will be dismantled later today or at the latest by midnight.