Malaysian authorities had been concerned that Wednesday’s rally would become racially charged, but allowed it to proceed anyway, warning protesters against carrying banners or posters with sensitive racial overtones.
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“I am only here to take a look”, the 59-year-old said. But a small group threw plastic bottles at police and tried to push their way through barricades into Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, shouting “This is Malay land”.
Riot police retaliated by firing chemical-laced water from a fire truck. Two protesters and a policeman were injured in the clash.
People attending Wednesday’s protests have been asked to wear red – the colour of the ruling party – to counter the distinctive yellow T-shirts worn by protesters at the late August rallies.
The Malaysian government’s move to pump cash into the share market will bolster confidence in a period of uncertainty, but it will not be enough to reverse the region’s faltering growth, say economists. The other name for the Malays, Bumiputras, means sons of the soil.
Supporters from over 200 Malay organizations had earlier marched through Malaysia’s capital city, denouncing ethnic Chinese opposition party leaders while calling for unity among the majority Muslim Malay population. His father Abdul Razak Hussein became prime minister the following year and responded with a program to reduce Chinese dominance in business by giving preferential treatment to Bumiputeras, which refers to the Malay and indigenous people.
Deputy Trade Minister Ahmad Maslan, who is also information chief of the UMNO, told local media that he joined the rally Wednesday as a “show of support for the government” amid challenges including the local currency’s sharp plunge.
The rally received encouragement from other factions within UMNO, and Najib has struck a permissive stance without actually endorsing the “Red Shirts”.
Mr Najib has been fighting for his political life since reports surfaced that $US700 million had mysteriously turned up in his private bank accounts in 2013. He is also saddled with allegations of mismanagement at 1MDB.
Veteran former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who led Malaysia and UMNO for more than two decades until his retirement in 2003, has been at the forefront of the campaign against Najib, and participated in the Bersih protest.
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Najib also announced the integrated development of Desaru Coast Destination Resort, which encompasses a hotel, a water theme park, a conference centre, holiday homes and a shopping village, and the first phase of which costs RM4.5 billion. In the 2013 election, ethnic Chinese voters deserted the coalition, and the opposition won the popular vote.
