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Vol. 79/No. 35 October 5, 2015
Malaysia: Thousands protest
attacks on democratic rights
BY MIKE TUCKER
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — A rally August 29-30 swelled to 300,000
participants in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, reported its
organizers, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, also known as
Bersih. The protest demanded the resignation of Malaysian Prime Minister
Najib Tun Razak and protection of the right to demonstrate and called
for more democratic elections.
A similar Bersih rally in 2012 was violently attacked by police. But
this time, despite being banned by the government, the action was not
attacked. Bersih means “clean” in the Malay language.
Smaller demonstrations took place in the cities of Kuching and Kota
Kinabalu. Outside Malaysia, solidarity protests by Malaysians took place
here and in 74 cities worldwide.
The protests flared after the Wall Street Journal reported accusations
in July that $700 million had been transferred from a state fund to
Najib’s personal bank accounts. This built on anger at a new sales tax
introduced in April. The Malay currency has plunged to a 17-year low,
raising the cost of living for working people.
“Malaysia is seeing the worst corruption scandal in its history” and “an
oppressive crackdown on freedom of speech,” Lydia Chai, a coordinator of
Global Bersih, told more than 300 Malaysians and supporters at an Aug.
29 protest here.
“Hundreds have been detained under sedition laws in Malaysia the past
two years,” Chai said. I got “so damned angry that I lost my fear” and
decided to speak out.
Najib’s party, the United Malays National Organisation, has been in
power since Malaysia won independence from Britain in 1957. Ruling by
divide and conquer — pitting the indigenous Malay population against
those of Chinese and Indian descent — has been a key feature of its
regime. All Malaysians must carry identity cards that classify them by
race and religion.
“They are not respecting the rights of the people. There is a lot of
corruption, gerrymandering,” Darren Quah told the Militant at the
Auckland rally. “They raise racial issues to cling to power. They talk
about Christian, Chinese, Jewish plots.”
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