Kuala Lumpur witnesses mass protests
Police unleashed tear gas and chemical-laced water yesterday at thousands of demonstrators who staged one of Malaysia’s largest rallies in years, demanding fair rules for national elections expected soon.
The trouble started as Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim began addressing the crowd.
At least 25,000 demonstrators swamped Malaysia’s largest city Kuala Lumpur, hoping to pressure Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ruling coalition, which has held power for 55 years, to overhaul electoral policies before polls that could be held this June.
Authorities insist the elections will be free and fair, rejecting activists’ claims that voter registration lists are tainted with fraudulent names.
