Reuters/AFP/DPA/Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia’s former leader Mahathir Mohamad made a surprise appearance yesterday among tens of thousands protesting to demand the resignation of the prime minister over a multi-million-dollar payment into an account under his name.
The rally in Kuala Lumpur brought into the streets a political crisis that has raged since reports in July that investigators probing the management of debt-laden state fund 1MDB had discovered the transfer of more than $600mn.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who denies wrongdoing, has weathered the storm and political analysts doubt the two-day rally will force him out of power.
However, the brief evening appearance of the deeply respected 90-year-old Mahathir, once Najib’s patron and now his fiercest critic, thrilled the protesters and could add momentum to their anti-government movement.
Leading civil society group Bersih, which organised the gathering, had planned to occupy the city’s Independence Square overnight.
But that appeared foiled, with security barriers and hundreds of police barring access to the historic area.
Security was tight and anti-riot trucks and a water cannon were parked near the square.
Thousands of police officers backed by government militias kept a close watch on the protesters.
In the end, they hung back behind barricades.
Bersih, which also organised rallies in the two main cities Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on Malaysia’s side of Borneo, said that the crowd in the capital swelled to 200,000 at its peak.
The Malaysiakini news portal put the number at half that and police said it was just 25,000.
There were no reports of violence and the mood was festive during the day as protesters – some with placards reading “Out, Najib, Out” – blew plastic horns and shouted “bersih!”, a Malay word for “clean”.
“We the Malaysians want to clean up this country, we reject dirty politics,” said Tinagar Veranogan, a demonstrator in a crowd mostly made up of young people from the ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities.
“We will not be cowed,” said Amir, a student who joined the protest with several friends. “It’s time we stand up for our country.”
Seva Ganesh, an information technology worker, marched with another group of protesters to show her disappointment in Najib’s government.
“He has to step down,” she said, adding that the premier’s explanation for the millions of dollars in his bank accounts was “lame and unbelievable”.
“I have a six-month-old baby. I want her to grow up in a democratic and corruption-free country,” said demonstrator Ng Chong Yee, a businessman. “We need to let the government know we are angry. If we sit at home, they will not realise this.”
One protester sat on the street holding a piece of cardboard with the words: “I have no money to print banner. Please donate RM2.6bn to me”, a reference to the amount of money Najib allegedly received as political donations.
Another sign said: “My prime minister embarrasses me.”
City authorities rejected an application by Bersih for a protest permit, raising fears of a repeat of a 2012 rally when police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters.
The government blocked access to Bersih’s website and banned the wearing of its signature yellow T-shirts, but the crowd of protesters was a sea of yellow.
Yellow is the symbol of the Bersih coalition of civic groups advocating electoral reform and good governance.
“For 58 years people have been patient with bribes, a political system that cannot resolve 1MDB. Today we want reform,” said Bersih leader Maria Chin, calling on parliament to hold a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.
The second day of the rally today is due to start with physical exercises, mass at a cathedral and interfaith prayers.
“There are huge frustrations with a number of endemic rights issues in Malaysia at the moment – the crackdown on freedom of expression by the government must end,” Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s deputy campaigns director, said in a statement.
Najib was not in Kuala Lumpur.
The Bernama national news agency quoted him as saying from the eastern state of Pahang that the patriotism of the rally organisers and participants was “shallow and poor”.
Najib told members of his party meeting in the town of Jerantut that the protesters lack patriotism for holding their rally so close to the country’s independence day, which is tomorrow.
“Don’t they understand? Are they that shallow and poor in their patriotism and love for their motherland?” Bernama quoted Najib as asking. “Don’t they understand the country was built on the blood and sweat of our freedom fighters?”
Analysts say that the Bersih movement is unlikely to inspire broad public support because it lacks strong leadership.
Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent pollster Merdeka Centre, said that discontent with Najib, who took office in 2009, is concentrated in urban areas and a national survey this month by his group showed a slight majority opposed the rally.
Malaysia’s anti-graft agency has said the funds paid into Najib’s account were a donation from the Middle East, which came just before a 2013 election.
The identity of the donor has not been revealed.
Najib, 62, says that he did not take any money for personal gain.
He has sacked his deputy and other ministers who publicly questioned him, and the attorney-general who had been investigating 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) has been replaced.
Authorities have also suspended two newspapers and blocked access to a website that had reported on 1MDB.
Najib retains significant support from the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and from his party, the United Malays National Organisation that represents the Malay majority.
The coalition, in power since 1957, lost the popular vote for the first time in 2013 to an opposition alliance that split this year.
Mahathir, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, withdrew support for Najib last year.
The prime minister has accused his former patron of stoking corruption allegations against him, saying that this began when he refused to implement Mahathir’s demands.
‘Bersih’ supporters gather in Jalan Tun Perak in downtown Kuala Lumpur as they prepare to march to Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) yesterday.
