(Reuters)– Thousands of protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (August 29) for a two-day rally to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak, bringing to the streets a political crisis over a multi-million-dollar payment made to an account under his name.
The Malaysian leader has weathered weeks of attacks since it was reported that investigators probing the management of debt-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had discovered the unexplained transfer of more than $600 million.
Protesters hope to spark a people’s power movement forcing Najib out, but political analysts doubt he will be toppled.
Security was tight as the rally got under way and access to a square where the protesters plan to converge was blocked. A Reuters reporter said at least six police trucks were parked along the empty road to the square.
Kuala Lumpur city authority rejected the organisers request for a permit for a protest, however police said as long as protesters do not cross the barricades no action would be taken.
One protester, Ben Choong called for a “clean nation”.
“My biggest demand is to have a clean nation, I don’t want to see another situation that 26 trillion (Malaysian ringgit) is given to ‘someone’. And I don’t want the Malaysian currency to continue falling. I want a clean nation,” he said.
Another, Toh Harn Niann said he was joining the protest as he was concerned with the present situation in the country.
“I want to make a statement by my presence today that I’m very concerned with the situation right now, and I still love my country,” he said.
The Malaysiakini news portal said 10,000 people had gathered by early afternoon but police estimated the crowd at half that number. Some members of the crowd had started to walk towards the square, Reuters witnesses said. Organizer of the protest, Bersih, had urged protesters to remain outside the square.
Protesters carrying “Out, Najib, Out” placards sang the national anthem, honked plastic horns and shouted “bersih!”, a Malay word for “clean”. Bersih is also the name of the pro-democracy organisation behind the rally in Kuala Lumpur and the two main cities on Malaysia’s side of Borneo.
The Star daily said on Thursday (August 27) the army could intervene if the protest gets out of hand and a state of emergency is declared. A military spokesman declined to comment.
Kuala Lumpur authorities rejected an application by Bersih for a protest permit, raising fears of a repeat of a rally in 2012 when police used water cannon and teargas to disperse protesters. Reuters journalists saw several anti-riot trucks and a water cannon parked near the Merdeka Square on Saturday.
The government has blocked access to Bersih’s website and banned wearing of its signature yellow T-shirts under an order prohibiting material prejudicial to public order and security.
The anti-graft movement Transparency International called on the Malaysian government to respect the right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully without fear of reprisal.