KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's government reclaimed the streets
of the capital Monday after massive weekend protests demanding the premier's
ouster, staging its own show of force with colorful National Day celebrations
attended by thousands.
With Prime Minister Najib Razak presiding, the government
held a parade attended by large crowds of flag-waving spectators in scenes
broadcast live, symbolizing what reform advocates and analysts admit will be an
uphill task affecting change in the government.
Organizers of the weekend demonstrations said more than
200,000 people attended the rallies staged to demand Najib's removal over a
financial scandal.
- But the weekend rallies and Mahathir's support are not seen as causing serious unease for Najib, who retains firm control of his powerful ruling party.
- His government in turn enjoys continued solid support among the country's majority ethnic Malay population.
- "The rallies showed (civil society and the opposition) can turn out the numbers, but whether actions like this can really make a difference is unclear," said Ibrahim Suffian, head of leading Malaysian polling firm Merdeka Centre.
Najib can rest easy because the only way anyone could
remove him is through parliament or the ruling party. In a speech Sunday night, Najib defiantly refused to step down and called the protesters "shallow-minded".
Rally participants in Kuala Lumpur seemed drawn mostly from
the country's ethnic Chinese minority, which makes up about a
quarter of the population.
quarter of the population.
Source: Asia One
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