Thousands of Malaysians dressed in yellow shirts began gathering in the capital Kuala Lumpur today for a rally to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over a financial scandal.
Razak sparked public outrage when it was leaked in June that $700 million had been paid into his account from unnamed donors. It was revealed during an investigation into alleged embezzlement at debt-ridden sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, and the prime minister has denied any wrongdoing.
Police deployed in large numbers at the gathering site and did not touch the protesters even though authorities declared all gatherings illegal, blocked organizers' websites and banned the wearing of yellow and the logo of Bersih, the coalition for clean and fair elections that organized the protests.
The protest is expected to continue into the night, and the Bersih group has also called for protests in other Malaysian cities, such as Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
Demonstrators in yellow Bersih T-shirts and yellow headbands, blowing horns, are arriving from five different directions and will head towards Independence Square, where the 58th Malaysian National Day celebration will be held on Monday.
Dozens of police officers in anti-demonstration gear closed the streets leading to the square.
The fund 1MDB was founded by Razak in 2009 to develop new industries and has amassed 42 billion ringgit ($11,1 billion) in debt after failed energy investments abroad. Critics have raised concerns about the fund's huge debt and lack of transparency.
Razak later said the money was a donation from the Middle East, fired his deputy and four other cabinet members, as well as the state prosecutor who was investigating him.
In addition to the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak, the protesters will demand institutional reforms and a more transparent government.
Malaysia is a country of 30 million people with a majority Muslim population and large Chinese and Indian minorities.
This is the fourth rally organized by Bersih, and the third since Najib Razak came to power in 2009. Tens of thousands of people participated in the last two rallies in 2011 and 2012, which the authorities broke up with tear gas and water cannons.
Malaysia's Deputy Interior Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed warned that police would intervene if protesters became violent or broke the law and said they should express their displeasure with the government in elections, not in the streets.
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