Former Malaysian PM calls for ‘people power’ to oust current leader

Protests against Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have gained momentum with support from former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir has called for Najib’s resignation in connection with a financial scandal.

The 90-year-old Mahathir, who was greeted by protesters in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday with enthusiastic applause, apologized to the crowd for helping Najib rise to power. At a press conference, he reiterated his support for the protests and accused Najib of misusing his position to avoid corruption charges.

“The only way for the people to get back to the old system is for them to remove this prime minister,” Najib’s highly popular predecessor told reporters prior to attending Sunday’s rally. “And to remove him, the people must show people power. The people as a whole do not want this kind of corrupt leader.”

Ongoing protests

Tens of thousands of yellow-clad Malaysians gathered in the capital city over the weekend in support of “clean and fair” elections as well as transparency reforms. Demonstrators shut down the city center with dancing, singing, and inter-faith prayer services. Police estimated that around 35,000 people attended the rallies while the pro-democracy group Bersih asserted that over 300,000 people attended the final day of the protest.

Protestors have been calling for Najib’s resignation after documents leaked by the Wall Street Journal last month indicated that nearly $700 million (626 million euros) were deposited into his personal bank accounts. Najib initially denied these accusations and fired cabinet members and the attorney general for investigating the claims.

Uncertain outcome

Analysts have said that the protests would likely not gather enough broad public support because they lack a strong leader and support from a Malay majority party. Most of those attending the rally were from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

However, Mahathir led the dominant political party in Malaysia, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) for many years. The country’s longest-serving leader is not only a popular public figure, but also still a significant political force.

UMNO Vice-President Hishammuddin Husein said that Mahathir’s appearance at the protests had “crossed over the line.”