Vol. 79/No. 35      October 5, 2015

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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