Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been criticised for accusing Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin of criminal defamation - an offence that carries a prison sentence.

In a statement today, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) director Zaid Malek said doing so would have a chilling effect on legitimate government criticism.

The proper remedy, said Zaid, was for Anwar to use the civil courts instead to clear his name.

"LFL finds it appalling and undemocratic that such a police report was made in the first place by the prime minister's own...