"I'm out of Singapore to make sure that I don't become a victim of political manoeuvring," Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff, former chief of the Muslim group Fateha, told Reuters by telephone from Melbourne on Wednesday.

Police began investigating Zulfikar for suspected criminal defamation after he posted several articles about prominent politicians and personalities on the group's Web site in June.

Zulfikar, who says he has been branded an "extremist", filed a police report -- also claiming criminal defamation -- against Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Yatiman Yusof.

The 30-year-old activist, who flew to Melbourne last week, could face a jail term if convicted.

"If it is going to be a fair investigation and trial, I have no problems facing up to anything. But I would want to have some confidence in the independence of the Attorney General's chambers and the judiciary," Zulfikar said.

"The thing that can assure me of their independence is if they charge me, they also charge the other three, because the comments made are similar."

It was not clear how long Zulfikar planned to stay in Australia and whether he was seeking permanent residence there. He said he would like to return to Singapore as soon as conditions allowed.

Zulfikar was propelled into the spotlight in January when he claimed the government had prompted home-grown terror plots by aligning itself with the United States and Israel.

Singapore leaders blasted Fateha as a fringe group and accused Zulfikar of turning Muslims against one another and undermining race relations in the city state.

He also lobbied for four Muslim schoolgirls to be allowed to wear headscarves to school after they were banned from class for doing so in February.

CLAIM AND COUNTER-CLAIM

Police are looking into three of Zulfikar's articles that referred to the minister in charge of Muslim affairs, Yaacob Ibrahim, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and the appointment of the deputy prime minister's wife as head of the powerful state investment agency Temasek Holdings.

Zulfikar's bid to turn the tables with his counter-claim of criminal defamation appears to have hit a brick wall.

The police have written to Zulfikar informing him that his complaint against the three statesmen "does not contain sufficient facts on which police can act".

But investigations of the activist were still in progress, a police spokesman told Reuters.

Criminal defamation carries a maximum jail term of two years, a fine or both.

Lawyers say such cases, which are brought by the state, are rare in Singapore. Unlike civil defamation cases, prosecutors have to prove intent to cause damage and injured parties are not entitled to monetary damages.

Launching civil lawsuits for defamation against outspoken political opponents is a well-established tactic by the long-ruling People's Action Party. Leaders say they resort to the courts only to defend their reputations against unfair attack.

Opposition politician Chee Soon Juan is currently battling a defamation suit brought by Goh and Senior Minister Lee stemming from comments he made during last November's general election.

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