MALAYSIAN security forces tightened control of Kuala Lumpur, deploying water cannons and riot police as thousands of protesters headed to the historic Independence Square to demand Prime Minister Najib Razak’s resignation.
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, or Bersih, says it expects 200,000 people to demonstrate in its third major rally since Najib came to power in 2009. The government earlier on Saturday banned people from wearing yellow T-shirts used by protest organizers, while demonstrators said mobile networks were becoming more congested as tension builds before the event’s scheduled start at 2 p.m. local time.
“I was a bit scared to come out to the protest in a yellow T-shirt,” said Mary Chia, a 56-year-old retired teacher and housewife, wearing a shirt in that color. “But I am here. I want a better Malaysia for my family.”
Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy has faced two months of political upheaval after a report that Najib received billions of ringgit in his private accounts in 2013, and as he reshuffled the Cabinet to remove critics, including his deputy.
While Najib has pushed back against detractors, such as former premier Mahathir Mohamad, and retains the support of senior officials in his party, a large rally would indicate growing public dissatisfaction with his leadership at a time when the economy is slowing. Protests are also planned in other parts of Malaysia and in countries, including Australia.
“The Home Ministry banning of the Bersih 4 T-shirts is laughable, and it is a show of a desperate government’s inability to deal with diverse views,” Bersih Chairman Maria Chin Abdullah said in a Facebook posting. “We cannot go on having a failed political system that breeds corruption and an ailing economy.”
Blocked web sites
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has blocked four web sites linked to the rally organizers, according to state news agency Bernama.
The FireChat off-the-grid messaging application has been downloaded 41,000 times from August 22 to 26, according to developer Open Garden. Over 500,000 chat sessions have been recorded from Malaysia, it said, as residents are concerned that cellular networks may be congested. “It will be the mother of protests—the police will jam the phone lines and make it difficult for us to protest,” said David Lee, a 23-year-old college student. “It’s our right. We want to say ‘no’ to Najib.”
A concern is that the political unease is distracting the administration from the financial turbulence hitting the country amid a broader regional slump, said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore.
Economic impact
Foreign funds have dumped more than $3 billion of the nation’s shares this year and the ringgit hit a 17-year low. The nation adjoins the Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping channels, and is a regional hub for maritime trade.
Police have backed off a possible plan to use tasers, warning protesters not to break the law, MalaysiaKini reported this week. In 2012 riot police clashed with protesters who broke through a barricade at Independence Square, firing tear gas and water cannons. More than 400 people were arrested.
Bersih has used social media and leaflets to organize the rallies, which will include the cities of Kuching and Kota Kinabalu in eastern Malaysia for the first time. The Home Ministry has declared the event illegal, while the police said organizers haven’t been granted the necessary permits.
Image credits: AP