Kuala Lumpur // Malaysia’s government reclaimed the streets of the capital on Monday after massive weekend protests demanding that the premier steps down.
The government of prime minister Najib Razak staged its own show of force with National Day celebrations attended by thousands.
Masses of flag-waving spectators cheered a colourful parade of soldiers, police and civil servants through the city centre, symbolically underlining the government’s clout despite pressure for change.
Organisers of the peaceful weekend demonstrations said more than 200,000 people came out to demand the removal of Mr Najib over a financial scandal.
“Well, we gave it our best shot and now it’s their turn again,” said Simon Tam, a lawyer who joined the demonstrations on both days.
“Getting Najib to step down is not easy, and maybe there is not much hope at all. But can we stand by and say nothing?”
Mr Najib has been under pressure since the Wall Street Journal last month published Malaysian documents showing nearly US$700 million (Dh2.57 billion) had been deposited into his personal bank accounts since 2013.
His cabinet ministers admit the transfers happened, describing them as “political donations” from unidentified Middle Eastern sources but refusing to explain further.
Influential ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, who calls Mr Najib corrupt and a poor leader and has pressed for his removal for more than a year, caused a stir by attending the rally on Sunday.
The 90-year-old, who squelched civil disobedience during his 1981-2003 rule, evoked the 1986 Philippine “people power” revolt in calling for Mr Najib to be toppled.
“If the government ignores the law, we have to demonstrate. If you look at [former president Ferdinand] Marcos, when he was ruling the Philippines they had to overthrow him through demonstrations,” he said. But the chances of a “people power” revolt in Malaysia are remote.
Mr Najib retains firm control of the powerful ruling party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), and its coalition government enjoys solid support among the Muslim ethnic Malays who make up more than 60 per cent of the population.
Mr Najib, who firmly denies any wrongdoing, on Sunday refused to step down, calling the protesters “shallow-minded”.
The prime minister recently strengthened his position by purging critics in his cabinet and appears to have stalled investigations into the scandal through other personnel moves.
* Agence France-Presse