Malaysia’s former leader Mahathir Mohamad made a surprise appearance yesterday among tens of thousands protesting to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister over a multi-million-dollar payment into an account under his name.

The rally in Kuala Lumpur brought into the streets a political crisis that has raged since reports in July that investigators probing the management of debt-laden State fund 1MDB had discovered the transfer of more than $600 million.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who denies wrongdoing, has weathered the storm and political analysts doubt the two-day rally will force him out of power.

However, the brief evening appearance of the deeply respected 90-year-old Mahathir, once Najib’s patron and now his fiercest critic, thrilled the protesters and could add momentum to their anti-government movement.

Security was tight and anti-riot trucks and a water cannon were parked near a square where protesters had planned to converge.

Pro-democracy organisation Bersih, which organised the rally in Kuala Lumpur and the two main cities on Malaysia’s side of Borneo, said the crowd in the capital swelled to 200,000 at its peak. The Malaysiakini news portal put the number at half that and police said it was just 25,000.

There were no reports of violence and the mood was festive during the day as protesters – some with placards reading ‘Out, Najib, Out’ – blew plastic horns and shouted ‘bersih!’, a Malay word for ‘clean’.

We the Malaysians want to clean up this country, we reject dirty politics

“We the Malaysians want to clean up this country, we reject dirty politics,” said Tinagar Veranogan, a demonstrator in a crowd mostly made up of young people from the ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities.

City authorities rejected an application by Bersih for a protest permit, raising fears of a repeat of a 2012 rally when police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters.

The government blocked access to Bersih’s website and banned the wearing of its signature yellow T-shirts, but the crowd of protesters was a sea of yellow.

“For 58 years people have been patient with bribes, a political system that cannot resolve 1MDB. Today we want reform,” said Bersih leader Maria Chin, calling on Parliament to hold a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister.

The second day of the rally tomorrow is due to start with physical exercises, Mass at a cathedral and interfaith prayers.

“There are huge frustrations with a number of endemic rights issues in Malaysia at the moment – the crackdown on freedom of expression by the government must end,” Josef Benedict, Amnesty International’s deputy campaigns director, said in a statement.

Najib was not in Kuala Lumpur. The Bernama national news agency quoted him as saying from the eastern state of Pahang that the patriotism of the rally organisers and participants was “shallow and poor”.

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