IPOH, July 19 -- Perak executive councillors Paul Yong accused of rape and Abdul Yunus Jamhari accused of corruption should voluntarily take a leave of absence from work until the police complete their investigations, a local group calling itself Perak Pertubuhan Rangkaian Ogranisasi98@Reformasi Malaysia said today.

The group touting government reforms said the temporary leave will help to protect the state administration's integrity.

"We are not saying that they're guilty, but we just want them to leave their official duties temporarily until the investigations are over," the organisation's secretary Sazali Shamsudin told reporters at the State Secretariat Building here.

The group, dressed all in black, were at the state government of...