Thousands rally against Malaysia PM

Najib under fire for billions missing from 1MDB fund

KUALA LUMPUR // More than 10,000 yellow-shirted protesters rallied in the Malaysian capital yesterday to demand prime minister Najib Razak’s resignation over a financial scandal.

Protesters marched in Kuala Lumpur and later moved to the Petronas twin towers after failing to enter Independent Square, the city’s main protest venue, which was locked down by police with water cannon on standby. Some chanted “Save Democracy” and “Bersih, Bersih” – the name of the electoral reform group that organised the rally. The name means “clean” in Malay. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad, who has been leading calls for Mr Najib’s resignation, joined the rally.

“Everybody feels concerned about the kind of government we have now,” said Mr Mahathir, wearing a yellow Bersih shirt. “We no longer live under democracy, but a kleptocracy – a nation ruled by thieves.”

The rally ended peacefully after a downpour.

Mr Najib, who is attending an Asia- Pacific summit in Peru, has kept an iron grip since corruption allegations emerged two years ago involving the indebted 1MDB state fund that he founded. 1MDB is at the centre of investigations in the US and several other countries.

The prime minister, who has denied any wrongdoing, has called Bersih deceitful and said the group had become a tool for opposition parties to unseat a democratically elected government.

“We want to see Malaysia more developed and not robbed of billions of ringgit,” said singer Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin, an opposition supporter, at the rally.

The protest was the fifth organised by Bersih, which also held two demonstrations yesterday on Borneo island.

Police estimated the crowd at 15,500. The turnout was less than the 50,000 who attended the last Bersih rally, in August last year, which also demanded that Mr Najib quit.

Police on Friday raided the Bersih office and detained the group’s chairwoman, Maria Chin, for investigation into “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy”.

Another 19 people, mostly politicians and activists, were detained on Friday and yesterday. They included ruling party politician Jamal Mohamad Yunos, whose supporters, numbering about 2,500, tried to counter the Bersih rally. Po- lice had banned both rallies.

Lawyer Eric Paulsen tweeted that Ms Chin was formally detained under a security law meant to be used against terrorists and could be held for 28 days. Other activists were remanded in police custody.

The investigations into 1MDB fund centre on allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme.

Mr Najib started the fund after taking office in 2009 to promote economic development projects, but the fund accumulated billions in debt over the years. The US justice department said that at least US$3.5 billion ( Dh12.85bn) had been stolen from 1MDB by people close to Mr Najib and initiated action in July to seize $1.3bn it said was taken from the fund to buy assets in the US. The US government complaints also said that more than $700 million had landed in the accounts of “Malaysian Official 1”. They did not name the official, but appeared to be referring to Mr Najib.

‘ We no longer live under democracy, but a kleptocracy – a nation ruled by thieves Mahathir Mohammad Former Malaysia prime minister