Hundreds of black-clad Malaysian youth have rallied in central Kuala Lumpur to demand the resignation of the prime minister over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as new cases soared in a surge that has also become a political crisis.

Public anger against Muhyiddin Yassin’s unelected government, which took power in March 2020 after forming a coalition with the opposition, has built up as cases jumped eightfold since January.

The rally added to pressure on Muhyiddin, after his government was reprimanded by Malaysia’s king for misleading parliament over the status of emergency measures.

Wearing face masks while holding black flags and placards, the protesters chanted “Fight! Fight!” and “Muhyiddin resign”. Some carried mock corpses wrapped in white cloth to depict the growing virus death toll.

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