(Aug 28): Police blocked off parts of the Malaysian capital as thousands of protesters prepared to descend on the city for a weekend rally demanding Prime Minister Najib Razak’s resignation.
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, or Bersih, expects about 200,000 people to demonstrate in Kuala Lumpur in its third major protest since Najib came to power in 2009. Police have deemed the gathering illegal and around 4,000 of them will be deployed.
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 detractors including his deputy.
While Najib has pushed back against detractors including 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 the economy is slowing. Protests are also planned in other parts of Malaysia and countries including Australia.
“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.”
The concern is the political noise 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.
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.
Riot Police
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. Over 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 police said organizers haven’t been granted the necessary permits.
More than 29,000 people have downloaded the FireChat messaging application — popularized in last year’s Hong Kong protests — to stay connected if cellular networks are congested, according to developers Open Garden. Police did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.
The rally organizer’s website was off line in Malaysia on Friday, a day after the communications commission said it would block websites promoting the protest. Commission officials didn’t immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.
Personal Accounts
The Wall Street Journal reported on July 3 that about $700 million may have moved through government agencies and companies linked to state investment company 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), ending up in accounts bearing Najib’s name before the 2013 election. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said the money was from donors in the Middle East, not 1MDB. The accounts have since been closed.
Najib has denied taking money for personal gain. The receipt of political funds was to meet the needs of the party and the community and wasn’t a new practice, the official Bernama news agency reported Aug 9, citing Najib.
The premier on Friday criticized protest organizers for being provocative and choosing a date so close to independence day on Aug 31, saying a national holiday should not be used as a stage for political strife.
Sending Message
While Najib has a firm grip on his coalition through a network of government ministers and division heads, he has gone to grassroots gatherings to bolster support.
Previous protests drew a mostly urban crowd of minority Chinese and Indians. Analysts this time are watching if there will be more ethnic Malays, the bedrock of support for Najib’s United Malays National Organisation.
Syed Ali Alhabshee, an UMNO division chief in Kuala Lumpur, said members won’t join the rally.
“A huge turnout with many ethnic Malay protesters would send a message to Najib’s party,” said Ibrahim Suffian, an analyst at the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research. “They will be forced to do something to rectify issues with Najib if they see overwhelming unhappiness.”