KUALA LUMPUR: Tens of thousands of Malaysians swarmed central Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to call for the prime minister’s ouster over corruption allegations and demand broader reforms, defying warnings by police who had declared the rally illegal.

Streets near the capital’s heart became expanses of yellow, with demonstrators donning the colours of Malaysia’s reform movement in a carnival atmosphere of political speeches, musical performances and selfies.

Leading civil-society group Bersih, which organised the gathering, had planned to occupy the city’s Independence Square overnight.

But that was apparently foiled, with security barriers and hundreds of police personnel barring access to the historic area.

Members of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s cabinet have admitted he received nearly $700 million in mysterious deposits into his personal bank accounts starting in 2013.

The revelation, brought to light by the Wall Street Journal last month, has crystallised the frustrations of many Malaysians fed up with recurring government graft scandals.

“I have a six-month-old baby. I want her to grow up in a democratic and corruption-free country,” said demonstrator Ng Chong Yee, a businessman.

“We need to let the government know we are angry. If we sit at home, they will not realise this.”

Previous rallies organised by Bersih — first formed to press for reform of an electoral system it considers biased in the 58-year-old government’s favour — have ended in clashes with police, most recently in 2012.

But there were no incidents reported and crowds began to thin by late afternoon. Rally organisers said a cohort intended to stay on the capital’s streets overnight.

Malaysian media outlets estimated the crowds at up to 80,000.

Earlier on Saturday, Mr Najib denounced the rally as disrespectful towards Monday’s National Day.

“Are they that (are) shallow and poor in their patriotism and love for their motherland?” he was quoted as saying by state-run Bernama news agency.

Smaller gatherings also were reported in the cities of Kuching and Kota Kinabalu on Borneo island.

Mr Najib’s cabinet ministers say the money transfers were legitimate “political donations” from unidentified Middle Eastern sources but have given no details.

The accounts have been closed and the fate of the money has not been explained.

But the official explanations have been widely mocked.

Influential former premier Mahathir Mohamad, a harsh Najib critic, has called the “political donations” claim “absurd”.

In a statement on Saturday, Transparency International chairman Jose Ugaz said Mr Najib’s government “failed to tackle the corruption scandals it faces, and people in positions of responsibility are acting with impunity”.

Mr Najib recently sacked officials or absorbed into his cabinet parliamentarians who were probing the matter, leaving the status of investigations unclear.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play