Tens of Thousands Protest against Malaysian PM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - An estimated 30,000 people have started protesting in Malaysia's capital Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has weathered public outrage over a multi-million-dollar payment made to a bank account under his name.
The protesters gathered at five designated areas in the Malaysian capital on Saturday ahead of a planned march toward the city's Independence Square, which has already been blocked for national celebrations on Monday.
Kuala Lumpur authorities banned the two-day rally organized by the pro-democracy group Bersih, setting the stage for a possible showdown with security forces.
The activist group has also called for rallies in the cities of Kota Kinabalu and Kuching on the Malaysian side of Borneo.
The Eurasia Group consultancy said this week the movement would not topple the government and was unlikely to inspire broad public support because it lacked strong leadership from a credible opposition figure.
"The rally will register as a big protest. But in terms of actual change, I don't think anything will happen immediately," said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, according to Al jazeera.
On Thursday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said in a post on its Facebook page that it would block websites that "promote, spread information and encourage people to participate" in the protest organized by the civil society group Bersih.
The director of independent pollster Merdeka Center, Ibrahim Suffian, said discontent with Najib, who took office in 2009, is concentrated in urban areas and a national survey this month showed a slight majority were opposed to the rally.
The 62-year-old leader ran into trouble in July when it was reported that investigators looking into alleged mismanagement at debt-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had traced a payment of more than $600m to an account under his name.
Malaysia's anti-graft agency has since verified the funds were a donation from the Middle East, which came just before a 2013 election. On August 3, it said it would ask Najib to explain why the donation was deposited into his private account.
The prime minister's fiercest critic, former leader Mahathir Mohamad, this week said he did not believe the money was a donation. He also called for Najib to go.
Najib, who has denied wrongdoing and says he did not take any money for personal gain, has not only ridden out the storm, he has tightened his grip on power through a series of deft steps to sideline would-be dissenters.
He sacked his deputy and other ministers who had publicly questioned him, and the attorney general who was investigating 1MDB was replaced. Authorities 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 within his party, United Malays National Organisation.
