KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of protesters, undeterred by the arrests of opposition leaders, marched in Malaysia’s capital on Saturday demanding that Prime Minister Najib Razak step down.

Pro-democracy group Bersih stage 1MDB protest, calling for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Protesters clad in yellow shirts marched through the heart of Kuala Lumpur bringing traffic to a standstill in several tourist spots, wrapping up peacefully in front of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers after an initial plan to assemble at Independence Square was thwarted by police.

Najib has faced criticism since the Wall Street Journal reported last year that around $700 million from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) was diverted into the personal bank account of the prime minister.

Najib ran into further trouble when lawsuits filed by the U.S. Justice Department in July said over $3.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB, which was founded by Najib, and that some of those funds flowed into the accounts of “Malaysian Official 1”, whom U.S. and Malaysian officials have identified as Najib.

The demonstration is unlikely to shake the prime minister, who has denied wrongdoing and weathered the crisis, consolidating power by cracking down on dissenters.

Eleven activists and opposition leaders were arrested on Friday and at least two more were detained at the rally. The deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there could be more arrests in the coming days.

Maria Chin Abdullah, the chair of pro-democracy group Bersih that organized the rally, was detained under Malaysia’s Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, or Sosma, her lawyers said. The law was introduced in 2012 to protect the country from security and extremist threats.

Laurent Meillan, acting regional representative of the United Nations Human Rights Office in South-East Asia, said the use of Sosma was very concerning.

“Security legislation should not be used against peaceful demonstrators. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Maria Chin Abdullah and other activists,” Meillan said.

Another Bersih leader, Hishamuddin Rais, and artist Fahmi Reza were also arrested.

“We are not here to bring down the country. We love this country! We are not here to tear down the government, we’re here to strengthen it,” Bersih deputy chair Shahrul Aman Shaari told the crowds gathered at the National Mosque.

Najib has taken steps which critics say aim to limit discussion of the scandal, such as sacking a deputy prime minister, replacing the attorney-general, suspending newspapers and blocking websites.

Najib retains significant support within UMNO and from the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

‘ARREST US ALL’

Turnout was lower than a similar rally last year, with police saying that about 15,500 Bersih supporters took part, while news portal Malaysiakini estimated around 40,000. As many as 200,000 people showed up last year at one point.

Police had said the rally is illegal and that they would not hesitate to use tear gas or water cannon if things got out of hand. State news agency Bernama said about 7,000 policemen would be on duty near the protest areas.

Still, spirits were high among those that gathered, with drums heard along with speeches, songs and chants by participants calling for a clean Malaysia and people power.

Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad, Najib’s fiercest critic, joined protesters in front of the Twin Towers.

“Let him come and arrest us all. We will stand up for our leaders including Maria Chin who has been arrested for the wrong reasons,” said 91-year-old Mahathir.

Muhyiddin Yassin - the former deputy premier who was sacked and now leads a new party chaired by Mahathir - was also present, leading the crowds in chants of “Step down Najib!”

“Our country is being governed by clowns and crooks. So I’m here to protest against our prime minister,” said the artist Reza before being arrested.

Azalina Othman Said, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, on Saturday said it was unlawful for any party to try to unseat an elected government via street protests.

Fears of clashes between Bersih and a pro-Najib group called Red Shirts mounted earlier this week after the latter threatened to target Bersih supporters, though no major clashes were reported on Saturday.

Slideshow (6 Images)

The pro-Najib group also rallied on Saturday and police estimated that about 2,500 supporters of Najib turned up.

Jamal Yunos, an UMNO member and leader of the Red Shirts, was arrested on Friday. He had warned of a repeat of racial riots in 1969 that killed hundreds in clashes between Malays and ethnic Chinese.

Ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities formed the bulk of the Bersih rally, similar to last year.</s>The rally was organized by Bersih, a coalition of nongovernment organizations that want to reform and clean up Malaysia's electoral process.

Bersih means "clean" in Malay, and Saturday's protests were the fifth phase of street protests the group has undertaken.

Public dissatisfaction with Najib has grown, especially after news broke over alleged financial mismanagement of a government-run fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB. 1MDB was formed in 2009 to invest in property, infrastructure and energy projects.

Saturday's gathering was peaceful, and monsoon rains eventually disbursed the crowd. The last Bersih protests were in August 2015. They ran for two days and also called for Najib's resignation. Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad attended the mass rally Saturday after coming out in support of the protests in a video posted to YouTube this week. "I hope all Malaysians will give their full support and take part in this Bersih protest," he said in the video, while donning a yellow "Bersih 5" T-shirt. Many Malaysians were surprised to see Mahathir backing the protests after his own government's clampdown on the Reformasi movement in the late 1990s. Mahathir was Malaysia's Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003 and oversaw a brutal repression of opposition protests during his time in power. In this week's video, the former leader said Malaysia was in a "state of emergency," adding Najib's government had racked up debts that the country would not be able to repay. Malaysian Twitter lit up with the Bersih march as the hashtag #Bersih5 trended across Kuala Lumpur. A woman named Fida from Shah Alam said she wanted to see the Prime Minister resign. "We need a clean election," she told CNN. Before Saturday's rally, Wong Chin Huat, a fellow at the Penang Institute, a think tank, told CNN that the demonstration was unlikely to have any immediate impact, but more likely be an "important incremental part of creating" an anti-Najib social coalition. "Bersih will play a role as a platform for forces demanding change," he said.</s>The rally was organized by Bersih, a coalition of nongovernment organizations that want to reform and clean up Malaysia's electoral process.

Bersih means "clean" in Malay, and Saturday's rally was the fifth phase of street protests the group has undertaken. Bersih supporters wear yellow T-shirts.

A statement from the Prime Minister's office dismissed the protest as the rantings of a politically ineffective and anti-democratic opposition movement.

While Malaysians have the right to assemble peacefully, the "right is not absolute," and authorities could take actions to ensure public safety, the statement said.

"It is unlawful for any parties to try to unseat a democratically elected government via street protests," it said. "They should play by the rules of our democracy and wait until the next election so that the majority of Malaysians can again choose their government via the ballot box." Public dissatisfaction with Najib has grown, especially after news broke over alleged financial mismanagement of a government-run fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB. 1MDB was formed in 2009 to invest in property, infrastructure and energy projects. As much as $4 billion could have been "misappropriated" from the Malaysian government, the Swiss attorney general's office said in January. Saturday's gathering was peaceful, and monsoon rains eventually disbursed the crowd. The last Bersih protests were in August 2015. They ran for two days and also called for Najib's resignation. Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad attended the mass rally Saturday after coming out in support of the protests in a video posted to YouTube this week. "I hope all Malaysians will give their full support and take part in this Bersih protest," he said in the video, while donning a yellow "Bersih 5" T-shirt. Many Malaysians were surprised to see Mahathir backing the protests after his own government's clampdown on the Reformasi movement in the late 1990s. Mahathir was Malaysia's Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003 and oversaw a brutal repression of opposition protests during his time in power. In this week's video, the former leader said Malaysia was in a "state of emergency," adding Najib's government had racked up debts that the country would not be able to repay. Malaysian Twitter lit up with the Bersih march as the hashtag #Bersih5 trended across Kuala Lumpur. A woman named Fida from Shah Alam said she wanted to see the Prime Minister resign. "We need a clean election," she told CNN. Before Saturday's rally, Wong Chin Huat, a fellow at the Penang Institute, a think tank, told CNN that the demonstration was unlikely to have any immediate impact, but more likely be an "important incremental part of creating" an anti-Najib social coalition. "Bersih will play a role as a platform for forces demanding change," he said.</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- More than 10,000 yellow-shirt protesters rallied Saturday in Kuala Lumpur seeking Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's resignation over accusations of taking at least $700 million from a government investment fund.

Protesters marched in downtown Kuala Lumpur and later moved to the Petronas Twin Towers after failing to enter Independence Square, the city's main protest venue, which was locked down by police with water-cannon trucks on standby. Those at the rally were undeterred by a police ban and the arrest of 20 people, mostly activists.

Some chanted "Save Democracy" and "Bersih, Bersih" -- the name of the electoral reform group that organized the rally. The name means "clean" in the Malay language.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has been spearheading calls for Najib's resignation, joined the rally. The 91-year-old once chose Najib as prime minister but now criticizes his former protege's government as corrupt.

"Everybody feels concerned about the kind of government we have now," said 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 of rain.

Najib, who is attending an Asia-Pacific summit in Lima, Peru, has kept an iron grip since corruption allegations emerged two years ago involving the indebted 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund that he founded. The fund is at the center of investigations in the U.S. and several other countries.

The prime minister, who has denied any wrongdoing, has called Bersih "deceitful" and said the group has 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," singer Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin, an opposition supporter, said at the rally. The ringgit, the Malaysian currency, is worth slightly less than a U.S. quarter.

The protest was the fifth organized by Bersih, which also held similar demonstrations Saturday in two Malaysian cities on the island of Borneo.

Police estimated the Bersih crowd at 15,500. The turnout was less than the 50,000 who attended the last Bersih rally, in August 2015, which also demanded that Najib quit. Online news portal Malaysiakini put the crowd Saturday at more than 40,000.

Najib criticized the Bersih coalition for trying to bring down his government, which he says was fairly and democratically elected. While Malaysia holds elections, its leaders have long been chosen first by the governing United Malays National Organization, which has been in power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Sri Azalina Othman Said, a government minister, issued a statement calling the protest leaders "a motley crew of former enemies driven by self-interest, not the greater good of society."

Police on Friday raided the Bersih office and detained the group's chairman, Maria Chin, under Malaysia's strict Security Offenses Act. Police said she was under investigation for "activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy."

Another 19 people, mostly politicians and activists, were also detained on Friday and Saturday to prevent rioting, police said.

Those detained included ruling party politician Jamal Mohamad Yunos, whose supporters, numbering about 2,500, trooped to downtown to counter the Bersih rally. Police banned the rallies by Bersih's yellow-shirt supporters and Jamal's red-shirt group.

Lawyer Eric Paulsen tweeted that Chin was formally detained Saturday under a security law meant to be used against terrorists and can be held for a further 28 days. The other activists were remanded for several days in police custody.

Amnesty International slammed the crackdown and called for the immediate release of the Bersih activists, describing them as prisoners of conscience. "These arrests are the latest in a series of crude and heavy-handed attempts to intimidate Malaysian civil society activists and other human rights defenders," Amnesty said in a statement.

"Security legislation should not be used against peaceful demonstrators," added Laurent Meillan, acting regional representative of the United Nations' human rights office in Southeast Asia. "We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Maria Chin ... and other activists."

The investigations into the state fund are centered on allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme. Najib started the fund shortly after taking office in 2009 to promote economic-development projects, but the fund accumulated billions in debt over the years.

The U.S. Justice Department said at least $3.5 billion had been stolen from the fund by people close to Najib, and it initiated action in July to seize $1.3 billion it said was taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S.

The U.S. government complaints also said more than $700 million had landed in the accounts of "Malaysian Official 1." They did not name the official, but they appear to be referring to Najib.

Support for Najib's National Front has eroded in the last two general elections. It won in 2013, but lost the popular vote for the first time to an opposition alliance.

Information for this article was contributed by Eileen Ng of The Associated Press; and by Richard C. Paddock of The New York Times.</s>Thousands of yellow-shirt protesters rallied Saturday in downtown Kuala Lumpur seeking Prime Minister Najib Razak’s resignation over a financial scandal, undeterred by a police ban and the arrest of 15 activists.

Police barricaded key roads in downtown Kuala Lumpur and put water-cannon trucks on standby, but it did not stop protesters. Some were chanting “Save democracy” and “Bersih, Bersih” — the name of the electoral reform group that organized the rally. The name means “clean” in the Malay language.

The protesters gathered around Independent Square, the main venue that was locked down by police. A smaller group of red-shirt pro-government supporters held a counterrally.

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

Najib, who has denied any wrongdoing, has said he won’t be cowed by the rallies.

In a statement on his blog, Najib called Bersih “deceitful” and said the group has 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 Wan Aisyah Wan Ariffin, an opposition supporter.

Police said in a statement they raided the Bersih office on Friday and detained Chairwoman Maria Chin for investigation into “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.”

Another Bersih official, Mandeep Singh, and 12 others including several politicians were also detained, mostly in connection with the rally and to prevent rioting, the police said.

Those detained include ruling party politician Jamal Mohamad Yunos, whose supporters trooped to downtown Kuala Lumpur to counter the Bersih rally. Police have banned both events by Bersih’s yellow-shirt supporters and Jamal’s red-shirt group.

Bersih said on Twitter that another of its official, Hishamuddin Rais, was nabbed Saturday after giving a speech to supporters at a commuter station.

A rally that Bersih organized in August 2015 also demanding Najib’s resignation brought together 50,000 people, according to police estimates. Bersih said the number was much higher.

Human rights group Amnesty International slammed the crackdown and called for the immediate release of the Bersih activists, describing them as prisoners of conscience.

“These arrests are the latest in a series of crude and heavy-handed attempts to intimidate Malaysian civil society activists and other human rights defenders,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The investigations into 1MDB fund are centered on allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme. Najib started the fund shortly after taking office in 2009 to promote economic development projects, but the fund accumulated billions in debt over the years.

The U.S. Justice Department said that at least $3.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB by people close to Najib and initiated action in July to seize $1.3 billion it said was taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S.

The U.S. 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 appear to be referring to Najib.</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — After organizing a big anti-government rally, Malaysia’s electoral reform group Bersih voiced concern over the arrest of its chairwoman under a security law meant for terrorists and the detention of more than a dozen people.

Police say 15,500 yellow-shirt protesters took to Kuala Lumpur streets Saturday for a second straight year to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over a financial scandal. Bersih estimated the crowd at 120,000.

Bersih official Wong Chin Huat says the security sweep and Chin’s detention without trial was aimed at silencing dissent and was a “sign of panic” by the government. He said Sunday that lawyers have had no access to Chin since she was taken Friday.

Najib, who is attending the APEC summit in Peru, says Malaysians are fed up with demonstrations.</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — More than 10,000 yellow-shirt protesters rallied Saturday in Kuala Lumpur seeking Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s resignation over a financial scandal, undeterred by a police ban and the arrest of more than a dozen activists.

Police barricaded key roads in downtown Kuala Lumpur with water-cannon trucks on standby, but it did not stop the protesters. Some chanted “Save Democracy” and “Bersih, Bersih” — the name of the electoral reform group that organized the rally. The name means “clean” in the Malay language.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has been spearheading calls for Najib’s resignation, joined the rally, adding momentum to the demonstration.

“Everybody feels concerned about the kind of government we have now,” said Mahathir, wearing a yellow Bersih shirt. “The government is very cowardly, trying to prevent a demonstration, which is the right of the people.”

Najib, who is attending an Asia-Pacific summit in Lima, 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 center of investigations in the U.S. and several other countries.

Najib, who has denied any wrongdoing, has said he won’t be cowed by the rallies.

In a statement on his blog, Najib called Bersih “deceitful” and said the group has 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,” singer Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin, an opposition supporter, said at the rally.

Bersih later told its supporters to move the rally outside the Kuala Lumpur City Center, one of the world’s tallest twin towers, with police locking down Independent Square, where the protesters had been trying to gather. A smaller group of red-shirt pro-government supporters held a counter-rally in the city.

Police said in a statement that they raided the Bersih office on Friday and detained its chairwoman, Maria Chin, for investigation into “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy.”

Thirteen other people, mostly politicians and activists, were also held to prevent rioting, police said.

Those detained included ruling party politician Jamal Mohamad Yunos, whose supporters trooped to downtown to counter the Bersih rally. Police have banned both events by Bersih’s yellow-shirt supporters and Jamal’s red-shirt group.

Bersih said on Twitter that three other activists were nabbed Saturday.

It later said Chin was formally detained Saturday under a security law and can be held for a further 28 days. The other activists were remanded for several days in police custody.

This marked the fifth rally organized by Bersih, which also held similar protests concurrently in two Malaysian cities on Borneo island. The last rally that Bersih organized in August 2015 also demanded Najib’s resignation, attracting a crowd of 50,000 people, according to police estimates. Bersih said the number was much higher.

Human rights group Amnesty International slammed the crackdown and called for the immediate release of the Bersih activists, describing them as prisoners of conscience.

“These arrests are the latest in a series of crude and heavy-handed attempts to intimidate Malaysian civil society activists and other human rights defenders,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The investigations into 1MDB fund are centered on allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme. Najib started the fund shortly after taking office in 2009 to promote economic development projects, but the fund accumulated billions in debt over the years.

The U.S. Justice Department said that at least $3.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB by people close to Najib and initiated action in July to seize $1.3 billion it said was taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S.

The U.S. 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 appear to be referring to Najib. Support for Najib’s National Front has eroded in the last two general elections. It won in 2013, but lost the popular vote for the first time to an opposition alliance.</s>Activists from the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections occupy the street in front of the Petronas Twin Towers during a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Nov. 19. Tens of thousands of Malaysians wearing yellow T-shirts and blowing horns defiantly held a major rally in the capital Saturday to demand the resignation of embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Protesters hold up candles during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in Seoul on Saturday. For the fourth straight Saturday, masses of South Koreans filled major avenues in downtown Seoul demanding an end to the presidency of Park, who prosecutors plan to question soon over an explosive political scandal. The signs read "Park Geun-hye, Step Down."</s>KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian police detained 12 activists and tightened security ahead of a rally Saturday by electoral reform group Bersih seeking Prime Minister Najib Razak’s resignation over a financial scandal.

Police barricaded key roads in downtown Kuala Lumpur and put water-cannon trucks on standby, but it did not stop protesters who began trickling in. Some were chanting “Save Democracy” and “Bersih, Bersih”— which means “clean” in the Malay language.

The protesters were gathering at several meeting points and plan to march on Independent Square, the main venue that was locked down.

Bersih said on Twitter that police raided its office on Friday and detained its chairwoman Maria Chin and another official Mandeep Singh. It said at least seven others including several politicians have also been held. It said police also confiscated laptops, mobile phones and bank statements.

“Despite the authorities’ desperate measures to stop us, (the rally) will go on,” the group tweeted.

Lawyer Melissa Sasidaran said Chin was being held for “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” and Singh for alleged rioting. She said a student leader and three politicians had also been detained.

Ruling party politician Jamal Mohamad Yunos, who planned to lead a counter rally, also was detained with two other anti-Bersih activists, Jamal’s group said in a statement.

Both the rallies have been banned amid fears of a clash between Bersih’s yellow shirt supporters and Jamal’s red shirt group.

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

A rally that Bersih organized in August 2015 also demanding Najib’s resignation brought together 50,000 people, according to police estimates. Bersih said the number was much higher.

Najib, who has denied any wrongdoing, has said he won’t be cowed by the rallies.

In a statement on his blog, Najib called Bersih “deceitful” and said it has become a tool for opposition parties to unseat a democratically elected government.

Human rights group Amnesty International slammed the crackdown and called for the immediate release of the Bersih activists, describing them as prisoners of conscience.

“These arrests are the latest in a series of crude and heavy-handed attempts to intimidate Malaysian civil society activists and other human rights defenders,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The investigations into 1MDB fund are centered on allegations of a global embezzlement and money-laundering scheme. Najib started the fund shortly after taking office in 2009 to promote economic development projects, but the fund accumulated billions in debt over the years.

The U.S. Justice Department said that at least $3.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB by people close to Najib and initiated action in July to seize $1.3 billion it said was taken from the fund to buy assets in the U.S.

The U.S. 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 appear to be referring to Najib.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday slammed the opposition parties in the country for allegedly hiding behind a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to fight the government.

He said that as the defeated side in the election, the opposition parties had the right to criticise the government but they had to use the proper channels to do so.

“But in Malaysia, the situation is different. The opposition parties use an NGO, which purportedly does not favour any political party and fights corruption, to pressure the government through rallies,” he said in a post entitled ‘Sandiwara Perhimpunan Pembangkang’ (Theatrics of Opposition Rallies) uploaded today on his www.najibrazak.com blog.

Najib said the people were aware that the NGO was actually a puppet of the opposition as almost all the rallies it had held and wanted to hold were led by leaders of opposition parties.

“At their second rally, they rioted in Kuala Lumpur, overturning police cars. At the third rally, they followed the orders of their leader and rammed police barriers, causing a commotion.

“At the fourth rally, they cheered for the toppling of the ruling party but claimed to be non-partisan. Finally, at the forthcoming fifth rally, they are revering opposition leaders charged with corruption when they claim to want to fight corruption.

“Is it not very clear that their struggle is false and the rally is just a movement of opposition parties hiding behind a so-called non-partisan NGO to fight a government elected by the people?” said Najib.

The prime minister said the majority of the people were fed up with the tactics employed by the opposition, and only wanted good service from the government.

“That’s what my team and I will continue to do,” he said. — Bernama
Tens of thousands of people protest in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down amid an ongoing corruption scandal involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad.