Prime minister Najib Razak should protect the good name of the country and not avoid the on-going French probe into the alleged kickbacks linked to Malaysia’s purchase of the Scorpene submarines, said PAS’s Salahuddin Ayub.

“If the prime minister has integrity and wants to be seen as someone with dignity and morals, he should give full cooperation to all legal requirements,” said the PAS vice president.
 
Last month, rights group Suaram revealed that French public prosecutors had obtained evidence in the form of a fax page dated June 1, 2001, in which Najib, the then Defence minister, had sought a payment of US$1 billion for Perimekar, a company owned by Abdul Razak Baginda.

Razak had been acquitted of a charge of murdering Mongolian citizen Altantuya Shaariibuu, with whom he said he had an affair and whose murder was linked to the Scorpene purchase.

The ongoing tribunal in Paris has listed several top Malaysian officials, including Najib and Defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid had earlier questioned the tribunal’s powers to issue a subpoena and seek Interpol help if witnesses refused to attend.

“Who are they to issue a warrant of arrest? We are not subjected to French laws,” Zahid had said.

Salahuddin said Zahid’s remarks only raised more public suspicion over Najib’s role in the case.

He added that Najib should instead use the opportunity in the French probe to clear his name once and for all.

“If UMNO is out of power, the new government will definitely give full cooperation to Interpol to drag Najib to the inquiry,” said Salahuddin.

Ketua umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata Pakatan Rakyat akan hanya menggunakan satu manifesto sebagai tawaran mereka dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Bagaimanapun, kerajaan yang ditadbir Pakatan boleh menambah perkara tertentu dalam manifesto berkenaan di peringkat negeri masing-masing.

“Walaupun negeri-negeri boleh tambah mengenai isu negeri, Pakatan Rakyat hanya ada satu manifesto,” katanya selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat majlis pimpinan gabungan parti itu di Petaling Jaya hari ini.

Mengulas mengenai pembahagian kerusi Pakatan dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang, Anwar yang juga ahli parlimen Permatang Pauh berkata kebanyakannya sudah dibereskan.
 
PAS pula sudah menyelesaikan “90 peratus” agihan kerusi itu, kata setiausaha agung PAS Datuk Mustafa Ali dalam sidang media sama.

Katanya agihan kerusi itu dijangka siap dalam tempoh kurang seminggu, namun pembahagian kerusi di Sabah dan Sarawak masih memerlukan lagi perbicangan.

Motion in relation to the events of and surrounding the BERSIH 3.0 public assembly on 28 April 2012, and matters in connection therewith, proposed by Lim Chee Wee (Chairman, Bar Council), on behalf of the Bar Council, dated 4 May 2012

Whereas:

(A) A public assembly was called for and organised by BERSIH 2.0, a coalition of 84 NGOs, on 28 April 2012 for electoral reforms. The public assembly was commonly known was BERSIH 3.0;

(B) Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur refused to allow the assembly at Dataran Merdeka, as chosen by the organisers, and insisted on the use of alternative venues;

(C) Despite the Minister of Home Affairs having twice asserted that the BERSIH 3.0 assembly was not a security threat, the police obtained an ex parte order from the Magistrates’ Court on the evening of 26 April 2012 restraining Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, the organisers of the BERSIH assembly and members of the public from gathering at Dataran Merdeka;

(D) The police announced, after obtaining the court order, that participants were permitted to gather at various points in Kuala Lumpur, except Dataran Merdeka;

(E) It has been reported by various news agencies that there were between approximately 30,000 to 250,000 people gathered for the assembly in Kuala Lumpur on 28 April 2012. The Malaysian Bar monitoring team estimated the crowd to be at least 100,000 people;

(F) The crowd that gathered that day reflected a broad cross-section of Malaysian society, and was peaceful;

(G) There were police barriers set up at every point/road leading to Dataran Merdeka, most of which consisted of metal gates, water-filled dividers and razor wire;

(H) There was massive police presence: approximately 14,000 personnel were reportedly deployed (including personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit) together with water cannons. It was observed that a substantial number of police personnel did not display their police identification numbers on their uniforms;

(I) At approximately 2:35 pm the organisers of the assembly, through its Co-Chairperson Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan, announced that the assembly had concluded and requested that the crowd disperse;

(J) The police were initially restrained. However, this changed at approximately 3:00 pm, when there was a breach of the perimeter barriers set up at the junction of Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja;

(K) The police then responded by unleashing water cannon and firing successive volleys of tear gas directly into the crowd gathered at that junction, and along Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Laut. Similar police action was reported at other points where crowds had gathered;

(L) The Malaysian Bar’s monitoring teams reported witnessing the use of heavy-handed tactics by the police, including the indiscriminate discharging of multiple rounds of tear gas directly into the crowds, without any obvious provocation, and the arbitrary use of water cannons;

(M) The police also directed their use of water cannon and firing of tear gas to box in participants rather than allowing them to disperse quickly. As participants retreated, the police should have re-established their barriers and given sufficient time to the crowd to disperse in an orderly and safe manner, instead of chasing participants and persistently shooting water cannon and firing tear gas on them. It appeared that the purpose of the police was not to disperse, but to attack, the crowd;

(N) Random, widespread and wanton physical assault and brutality by the police on members of the public and media professionals have been reported. It has further been reported that there was confiscation and/or destruction of photographs and video recordings made by members of the public and media professionals, and damage caused to their recording equipment;

(O) There were unwarranted arrests of members of the public and media professionals. The police also arrested Members of the Bar who had participated in the public assembly. Whilst in the care and custody of the police, at least three of these Members were physically assaulted and beaten, and suffered serious injuries;

(P) In response to the use of force by the police, sections of the crowd resorted to retaliatory acts, including the throwing of stones and bottles. The police responded like for like. These skirmishes between the police and sections of the crowd carried on until approximately 7:00 pm;

(Q) The police have failed to display the maturity, discipline and restraint required of a professional force. Instead of acting to calm the situation, they aggravated it and contributed to its escalation;

(R) It has been reported that the organisers of the BERSIH 3.0 assembly had not made sufficient efforts to manage the crowds or to resolve the impasse between the police and the crowds;

(S) It has been reported that between 388 and 513 persons were arrested and taken to Pusat Latihan Polis (“PULAPOL”), Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian Bar’s urgent arrest team, comprising members of the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (Kuala Lumpur) and volunteer lawyers, were present at PULAPOL to assist and represent the arrested persons. However, the police refused to allow them access to the arrested persons despite repeated requests by both the lawyers present and the arrested persons. This denial of access to legal representation is a violation of Article 5 of the Federal Constitution and section 28A of the Criminal Procedure Code;

(T) The right of every citizen to freedom of speech and expression, and to assemble peaceably, is enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution as well as Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

(U) The right of every person to life and liberty, including the right not to be assaulted or harmed, is enshrined in Article 5 of the Federal Constitution as well as Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and

(V) The Malaysian Government, as a member of UNESCO, is aware of the Medellin Declaration on Securing the Safety of Journalists and Combating Impunity, adopted at the UNESCO Conference on Press Freedom, Safety of Journalists and Impunity on World Press Freedom Day 2007;

Now it is hereby resolved that:

(1) The Malaysian Bar views with grave concern, and condemns:

(a) the excessive, indiscriminate and wrongful use of water cannons and tear gas by the police on participants of the assembly;

(b) the action of the police in not allowing the crowd sufficient time to disperse in an orderly and safe manner, and instead chasing the participants and attacking them by persistently shooting water cannon and tear gas on them;

(c) the tactics of the police in trapping and attacking the participants with water cannon and tear gas instead of permitting them to disperse;

(d) the random, widespread and wanton physical assault and brutality by the police on members of the public and media professionals;

(e) the unwarranted arrests of members of the public, media professionals and Members of the Bar, and the physical assault and beating of at least three arrested Members;

(f) the unjustifiable and unlawful confiscation and/or destruction of photographs and video recordings made by members of the public and media professionals, and damage caused to their recording equipment; and

(g) the lack of discipline and professionalism of the police;

(2) The Malaysian Bar calls for the police to identify their personnel involved in the misconduct and unlawful acts and surrender all the wrongdoers, in particular those who assaulted members of the public, media professionals and lawyers, for prosecution;

(3) The Malaysian Bar renews our call on the Government to give effect to the recommendation of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission recommended therein, without further delay;

(4) The Malaysian Bar calls for the Minister of Home Affairs and the Inspector General of Police to issue a public apology for the actions and conduct of the police, including the excessive, indiscriminate and wrongful use of water cannons and tear gas;

(5) The Malaysian Bar calls for the Minister of Home Affairs and the Inspector General of Police to issue a public apology to members of the public, media professionals and lawyers who were assaulted or beaten by the police;

(6) The Malaysian Bar calls for the setting up of an independent commission to recommend and formulate proper guidelines or operating procedures governing conduct of police in the control and management of public assemblies, and the use of non-lethal and lethal weapons, which would be in accordance with internationally-accepted standards, in particular the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials (adopted by United Nations General Assembly resolution 34/169 of 17 December 1979) and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials 1990;

(7) The Malaysian Bar calls on the Government to pay just and proper compensation to members of the public, media professionals and lawyers who were assaulted;

(8) The Malaysian Bar condemns the police for denying lawyers access to arrested persons and calls upon the police to abide by and give effect to Article 5 of the Federal Constitution and section 28A of the Criminal Procedure Code;

(9) The Bar Council will look into how it can assist those denied their constitutional rights and those who were assaulted to pursue claims against the relevant parties for just and proper compensation;

(10) The Malaysian Bar calls on the Government, in line with the Medellin Declaration, to:

(a) prevent crimes against media professionals, investigate and penalise such crimes, provide witness protection for those testifying about them and ensure that the perpetrators do not go unpunished;

(b) promote awareness and train Malaysian law enforcement agencies to respect and promote the safety of media professionals, and ensure that they are able to work in full security and independence; and

(c) take resolute action for the safety of media professionals and ensure respect for their professional independence;

(11) The Malaysian Bar calls on Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur to uphold freedom of assembly and the right of all to utilise Dataran Merdeka for public assemblies; and

(12) The Malaysian Bar reaffirms the right of individuals to participate in public assemblies. Such right must however be exercised in a peaceful and responsible manner. The Malaysian Bar reminds organisers of public assemblies of their responsibility to take all reasonable action to ensure a peaceful assembly.

The above Final Report is due to be discussed at Bar’s EGM slated for Friday, 11th May 2012 at 3pm

PETALING JAYA, May 11 — Tun Mohammad Hanif Omar must step down as head of Putrajaya’s independent panel probe on the Bersih 3.0 violence, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last night.

The PKR de facto leader said this was necessary to ensure the panel was completely fair and neutral in its investigations into incidents surrounding the April 28 rally.

Former Inspector-General of Police Hanif was delusional in thinking Bersih 3.0 would bring a resurgence of communist threat, said Anwar (picture).

“Tun Hanif still thinks he is the Inspector-General of Police fighting the communists, need to fight Chin Peng to the end… eh it (the communist threat) is already over,” Anwar said at a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ceramah attended by over 1,000 supporters.

“I am asking that Tun Hanif withdraw as chairman. Do not fool the people. You know you are not neutral, insulting Bersih… the other panel members should also step down,” Anwar demanded.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang echoed Anwar’s remarks, saying that Hanif’s appointment was the “worst” decision the Najib administration had made in three years.

“Tun Hanif should be a star witness in the enquiry, not the chairman… save the enquiry from embarrassment,” the Ipoh Timor MP said to loud cheers from people at the ceramah.

“Tun Hanif says Bersih 3.0 was a plot to overthrow the present government… where is the proof?

“Rational Malaysians won’t accept this explanation… that there were pro-communist elements during the rally,” said Lim.

The DAP has maintained Putrajaya’s independent panel probe on the Bersih 3.0 violence would return biased findings following Hanif’s appointment as its head.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had said that Hanif had already made clear his opposition to Bersih and his former position as IGP would serve as a conflict of interest when the panel probes allegations of police brutality.

As such, he said, it was a “forgone conclusion” that the panel would absolve all police personnel from blame over the violent incidents during Bersih 3.0 last month.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announced the names of the six-man panel tasked to investigate allegations of police violence against Bersih 3.0 protesters on April 28.

Apart from Hanif, the other panel members include former Chief Judge of Borneo Tan Sri Steve Shim, Sinar Harian managing director Datuk Hussamuddin Yaacub, Media Chinese International legal adviser Liew Peng Chuan, Petronas corporate affairs senior general manager Datuk Medan Abdullah and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia psychology Professor Dr Ruszmi Ismail.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had pledged last week that “credible, experienced and respectable” individuals would form the independent panel to probe the violence during Bersih 3.0.

Najib said that he along with the entire government and members of the public are keeping a close eye on investigations into the allegations that journalists, both local and foreign, had been roughed up during the rally for free and fair elections.

But Najib has come under fire for his administration’s selection of Hanif to head the panel, even after the latter had agreed with the prime minister’s claim that Bersih 3.0 was an attempt to overthrow the government and even claimed that communist sympathisers were involved in the event.

Chaos reigned on the streets of Kuala Lumpur for over four hours after 3pm on April 28 when police fired tear gas and water cannons and chased protesters down the streets to disperse what had initially begun as a peaceful protest calling for free and fair elections.

The Bar Council has said that its observers found that police brutality at the rally was “magnified” compared to already chaotic scenes during a similar gathering for free and fair elections last July 9.

Six local pressmen and 12 photographers and journalists from the foreign media were reportedly assaulted during the fracas on April 28.

Both local and foreign media groups have condemned the hard-handed tactics used on the media, whom they pointed out were merely doing their job.

Police had begun firing the tear gas and water cannons after some demonstrators breached the barricade in front of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and rushed into Dataran Merdeka, which the court had barred the public from entering that particular weekend.

They fired as far as the DBKL premises, which are across Jalan Parlimen, and the move broke up the crowd who fled helter-skelter but police chased them down at Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja Laut.

11 Mei 2012 (Jumaat)

1)    7.00 – 9.30 malam –   Munajat Perdana  / Tazkirah / Jamuan Rakyat

        Lokasi : Dataran Sungai Tengi, Felda Sungai Tengi, Hulu Selangor

2)    8.00 – 12.00 malam – Ceramah Perdana – Merdeka Rakyat – Pascal Bersih 3.0

        Lokasi: Padang Bukit Beruntung (Belakang Esso)

3)    Penceramah:

i.                    YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

ii.                  YB  Sivarasa Rasiah

iii.                YB Xavier Jayakumar

iv.               YB S. Manikavasagam

v.                 YB IR. M. Muthiah

vi.               YBhg N. Surendren

vii.             YBhg Khalid Jaafar

viii.           YBhg Naza Yakin  

Pada asalnya, keanggotaan MPWK adalah terdiri dari EXCO wanita dari kerajaan-kerajaan negeri di seluruh Malaysia. Malangnya, sejak penubuhan hingga ke hari ini, ia telah disalahgunakan sebagai sebuah organisasi haram yang dianggotai oleh Ketua-ketua Wanita Umno dan pimpinan Wanita Umno di setiap kawasan parlimen dan diberikan peruntukan yang besar oleh Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat yang diketuai Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil.

Semakan dengan Pendaftar Pertubuhan mengesahkan bahawa MPWK tidak berdaftar dan dikategorikan sebagai pertubuhan haram.

MPWK mempunyai anggota di peringkat negeri dan parlimen. Ketua MPWK di peringkat negeri adalah Ketua Wanita Umno Negeri, manakala di peringkat parlimen adalah Ketua Wanita Umno Bahagian.

KEADILAN mempunyai bukti mengenai perbelanjaan dan peruntukan yang telah disalurkan kepada kesemua bahagian Wanita Umno di seluruh negara dengan berselindung di sebalik pertubuhan haram yang diberi nama MPWK ini.

Hari ini, Wanita KEADILAN menampilkan bukti bagaimana kerajaan menanggung perbelanjaan yang tinggi untuk program mewah di hotel mahal yang dihadiri oleh keseluruhan jentera kepimpinan Wanita Umno seluruh Malaysia, atas nama MPWK. Surat jemputan yang dilampirkan bersama dialamatkan kepada Puan Normah Mohd Saman iaitu Ketua Wanita Umno Wangsa Maju.

Pembiayaan aktiviti parti dan perbelanjaan yang memberi manfaat kewangan kepada pimpinan parti dengan menggunakan wang rakyat dan dana kerajaan adalah satu kesalahan besar di sisi undang-undang. Ini adalah penyelewengan dan salahguna kuasa yang nyata yang telah dilakukan oleh Wanita Umno di bawah kepimpinan Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil.

Oleh itu, Wanita KEADILAN mendesak:

1. 1) Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak sebagai Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat membubarkan serta merta MPWK ini dan menghentikan semua perbelanjaan dan dana yang disalurkan kepada MPWK;

2. 2) Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak perlu mengarahkan siasatan dalaman di peringkat Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat dengan serta merta bagi mengenalpasti sejauh mana penyelewengan telah berlaku sejak 2001;

3. 3) Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil meletak jawatan serta merta sebagai Ketua Wanita Umno kerana telah terbukti beliau terbabit di dalam penyalagunaan wang rakyat; dan

4. 4) SPRM menjalankan penyiasatan serta merta untuk menentukan sejauh mana salahguna kuasa telah berlaku sejak 2001.

Wanita KEADILAn akan terus mengemukakan bukti sekiranya tidak ada maklumbalas dari Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil dan SPRM.

HAJJAH ZURAIDA KAMARUDDIN
KETUA WANITA KEADILAN

2 MEI 2012

Fitnah ini memaparkan seorang lelaki yang mereka tohmah sebagai saya bersama seorang wanita di dalam tandas. Saya menafikan sekeras-kerasnya fitnah tersebut. Ianya adalah fitnah ulangan menggunakan modus operandi yang sama yang digunakan terhadap Dato? Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Saya amat kesal memandangkan tindakan ini adalah fitnah bersiri terhadap saya dan keluarga selepas fitnah jijik ke atas isteri dan anak saya, disusuli dengan dakwaan pemilikan saham kemudiannya saya dituduh menghina Raja-Raja Melayu dan baru-baru ini saya ditohmah mencetuskan provokasi dalam Himpunan Aman Bersih 3.0.

Sebelum ini saya dan isteri serta anak kecil saya telahpun melakukan ujian DNA sebanyak dua kali dalam bulan Julai 1998. Kedua-dua keputusan ujian tersebut menempelak fitnah ke atas saya, isteri dan keluarga. Hasil ujian jelas menyebut serta mengesahkan saya dan isteri merupakan ?biological parent? kepada anak kami. Ujian DNA tersebut sekaligus memelihara maruah saya dan keluarga.

?The results from all three genetic loci show that the donor of blood specimen marked ?X? (putative father) is the biological father of the donor of the blood specimen marked ?Y? (child). ?Namun UMNO masih mengulangi fitnah kejam tersebut sepanjang 14 tahun ini walaupun bukti sudah jelas lagi nyata bahawa tuduhan mereka terhadap saya dan keluarga merupakan pembohongan semata-mata.

Setelah kesemua fitnah tidak berjaya, mereka mengulangi skrip usang fitnah seks yang memualkan untuk mengaib dan mematahkan semangat saya. Fitnah jahat seperti ini diulang- ulang untuk membentuk persepsi rakyat terhadap maruah dan kredibiliti saya menjelang pilihan raya. 

Munculnya fitnah ini tatkala UMNO dihimpit krisis keyakinan dan menjadi sasaran kemarahan rakyat selepas perhimpunan BERSIH adalah untuk mengalih pandangan rakyat dari isu sebenar iaitu isu penipuan pilihan raya dan penyelewengan dana awam. Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa saya tetap tuntas dengan perjuangan membawa obor reformasi demi rakyat. Saya menyeru kepada pimpinan UMNO supaya menghentikan budaya politik fitnah yang boleh menghancurkan negara dan masyarakat. Saya akan terus bersama-sama pimpinan KEADILAN dan Pakatan Rakyat untuk menjana perubahan dan membawa kemenangan rakyat dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke 13.

Mohamed Azmin Bin Ali

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Police fired tear gas and chemical-laced water at thousands of protesters demonstrating for cleaner elections, potentially undermining Prime Minister Najib Razak’s efforts to present himself as a political reformer with elections months away.

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Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Malaysian riot police fired water canons into protesters in Kuala Lumpur Saturday.

Riot police took action on Saturday when some of the tens of thousands of demonstrators began encroaching on the historic Merdeka Square in the center of downtown Kuala Lumpur, despite police and government warnings to keep away from the area. Some groups of demonstrators lingered in the area for hours, and at least 388 demonstrators were detained, police said. Rally organizers criticized the police response as unnecessary and disproportionate.

Clashes in Kuala Lumpur

Photos

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Reuters
A protester kicked a tear gas canister back to the police during clashes in Kuala Lumpur Saturday.

Last year, police broke up a similar rally with tear gas and water cannon, and briefly detained about 1,600 members of the Bersih activist group, whose name means “clean” in Malay. That earned Mr. Najib’s government international condemnation and prompted him to move forward on a series of political overhauls, including ending the Southeast Asian nation’s Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite, warrantless detention.

Protest leaders earlier Saturday said they would march up to the heavily guarded perimeter of Merdeka, or Independence, Square, where Malaysia first hoisted its national flag after independence from Britain. There they held a sit-down protest in the surrounding streets, joined by opposition politicians including opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

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Shie-Lynn Lim/The Wall Street Journal
Gas masks worn by police.

Among other things, the yellow-clad Bersih supporters are demanding that the country’s electoral rolls be cleaned up to prevent fraudulent voting and that alleged biases within the country’s election agency be removed. In addition, they want international observers to monitor polls and also ensure that all political parties get similar access to government-controlled broadcasters and newspapers, which dominate the media in Malaysia. The protesters also want to enable Malaysians living overseas to be able to cast ballots. The next elections must be called by March 2013.

“Today is our day. No one can take it away from us,” Ambiga Sreenevasan, one of the co-founders of the Bersih group, told a crowd before beginning a march toward Merdeka Square. “Today we speak with a clear voice: We want clean elections.”

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal earlier, Ms. Sreenevasan said, “today we have reclaimed our public spaces.

“The atmosphere is simply amazing,” she said. “The camaraderie amongst everyone is unmistakable.”

Malaysia, a major global exporter of computer parts, energy and palm oil, still is a conservative country where many voters and political power brokers are fearful of large street protests despite the rapid growth of the Internet and a proliferation of independent news websites, which often are critical of the government.

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Reuters
A protester with a message taped over his mouth demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur Saturday.

While a parliamentary committee is considering changes to Malaysia’s election laws and the government has agreed already with some of Bersih’s proposals, authorities appear unhappy that the protesters wished to assemble in the historic heart of the city. Speaking in Kuching, Mr. Najib said only the square is an unsuitable venue for political protests. He said national and city authorities had offered alternative venues, including a nearby stadium.

“We have built this country. We have made sacrifices to bring Malaysia to where it is today. We must defend the country while at the same time allow them their basic right to assemble,” Mr. Najib said, according to state news agency Bernama. He also denied that Malaysia’s electoral system was rigged against the opposition.

In a statement, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the government respects people’s right to protest and added that he “would like to commend police for their professionalism and the restraint they have shown under difficult circumstances.”

There was a palpable tension throughout much of Malaysia’s commercial capital Saturday. Some businesses, especially around the busy central market, opted to pull down steel shutters. At Merdeka Square, police armed with tear gas had been preparing to repel protesters since cordoning off the area Friday morning.

When a group of protesters began to move toward Merdeka Square amid loud chants, police acted quickly, launching tear gas and firing water cannon, sending large groups of protesters running up city streets to avoid the acrid fumes from tear-gas canisters. Outside the Sogo department store, protesters overturned a police car, which allegedly had hit two protesters, while volleys of tear gas penetrated deep into the crowd.

“I was hit by tear gas. It was not very pleasant,” Sen. Nicholas Xenophon from Australia, who is leading an international fact-finding mission on electoral overhauls, told The Wall Street Journal. “There is an Arab Spring. This is the Malaysia Spring. There is an unstoppable desire for reform.”

Mr. Najib’s reformist credentials likely will be undermined by the police action, which march organizers described as disproportionate to the threat posed. Yet some political analysts said Saturday’s protest might not necessarily hurt him or the ruling National Front coalition in an election.

James Chin, a political science professor at the Malaysian campus of Australia’s Monash University, who attended the demonstration, said many protesters were looking for a confrontation and that this might play into Mr. Najib’s hands if he calls an early election. “The reforms will still be on,” Mr. Chin said. “But the core of the regime will remain intact.”