BREAKING NEWS

Protesters gather to pile more pressure on Malaysia's PM

By REUTERS

AUGUST 29, 2015 10:57

KUALA LUMPUR - Thousands of protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 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.

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.

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 organization behind the rally in Kuala Lumpur and the two main cities on Malaysia's side of Borneo.

"We the Malaysians want to clean up this country, we reject dirty politics," said Tinagar Veranogan, a demonstrator in a crowd of predominantly young people as a helicopter buzzed overhead.

The Star daily said on Thursday the army could intervene if the protest gets out of hand and a state of emergency is declared. A military spokesman declined to comment.

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