70,000 in and outside stadium as rally kicks off

Downtown Kuala Lumpur is expected to be swamped with thousands of Pakatan Rakyat supporters as part of the coalition's final show of force ahead of a crucial general election.

Organisers are hoping that big turnout at the rally - dubbed the People's Uprising Rally - would sway fence-sitters who are likely to vote based on who will likely to form the next federal government.

The Najib government however appeared to be bending over backwards to ensure that there are no untoward incidents, even if the rally theme itself is brazenly revolutionary.

Not only have the authorities allowed Pakatan to rally at the historic and highly symbolic Stadium Merdeka, the police have stated that its target was for "zero casualty" and have pledge to do without the notorious Federal Reserve Unit (riot police).

Rally organisers are putting the authorities' new attitude to the test, with plans to hold multiple street processions ahead of the three-hour rally, which is scheduled to begin at 2pm.

The weather forecast for today is cloudy with a slight chance of showers. 

LIVE REPORTS

9.13am: Brickfields (Jln Tun Sambanthan) - Traffic is smooth as there is are no roadblocks. A group of participants in yellow is spotted heading towards the stadium. There are no signages about the gathering at the moment.

9.20am: Masjid Negara - The mosque begins to fill with large groups in yellow and green attire, spilling out across to the railway station. Traffic is smooth and traffic police are assisting. The road in the direction of Dataran Merdeka has been blocked and traffic headed that way has to divert to Jln Kinabalu. 

Traffic in front of Sultan Sulaiman Club is also smooth. A number of supporters in green and yellow are sitting by the pavement, and a stall has set up shop selling People’s Uprising Rally attire.

9.45am: Masjid Al-Rahman (Universiti Malaya) - Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has just arrived. About 50 have gathered and are preparing to head to the stadium.

KLCC - 500 are gathered there, along with activists and NGOs such as the Royalti, Anak and Bersih. Royalti secretary Hishamuddin Ghazali says they plan to head to the stadium at 11.45am with PAS vice president Husam Musa dan Anak chief Mazlan Aliman leading.

9.55am: Stadium Merdeka - The rally venue site is still closed to the public but a handful of Pakatan Rakyat members are already inside the stadium making preparations. 

Meanwhile, stalls have lined for more than 500m along the roads outside the stadium in a 'pasar pagi'-like atmosphere.

People are already pouring in around the stadium. The crowd size is estimated at over 2,000.

9.56am: Jalan Sultan - A few hundred people are gathered here in a festival-like atmosphere. The streets are filled with the sound of vuvuzelas.

The yellow People's Uprising rally T-shirts displaying "kuasa rakyat#KL112" are fast running out. Participants are spotted changing into the T-shirts on the street, while some female participants put it on top of what they are wearing.

Shops are open for business. Tailor shop owner Khong Kim Lyew tells Malaysiakini that his shop opens from 8am to 5pm as usual to send a message to the police the rally is peaceful.

While police have warned that children are not allowed to participate in the rally, a few children in yellow are seen with their parents.

10am: Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya - About 200 are gathered in the field opposite the mall, mostly in blue PKR Youth T-shirts. They are preparing to head to the UM mosque to join the crowd there.

Among the ledgers present is Simpang Pulai assemblyperson Chan Ming Kai. 

10.10am: Jalan Stadium - The police have set up two tents for the media within the compound of Tun HS Lee police station. They have also set up a counter to register media personnels for on-the-spot issuing of police-sanctioned press tags.

A number of journalists are here awaiting the rally to begin in the afternoon. The police station is about 200 metres away from Stadium Merdeka.

Amcorp Mall - The crowd start moving, singing songs and Negaraku, bearing a placed ‘Cleran up the electoral system’.

10.15am: Jalan Sultan - A group of DAP supporters dance Gangnam-style on the street, accompanied with the famous South Korean song which has been modified with anti-Lynas lyrics.

DAP member Chua Beng Hooi, 47, who is wearing a radioactive proof suit, joins the fun.

According to his friend, Chua has specially made the costume for today’s rally.

Chua, a fisherman from Taiping, says he is here to support green movement. The crowd size is now about 500.

10.30am: KLCC - Gerak Khas actress Abby Abadi is among the Royalti supporters. Dressed in a purple tudung and black jubah, she takes photographs with the NGO members in the KLCC area and becomes an attraction with media cameras. 

Shortly after, Abby tells reporters she hopes there would be no repeat of incidents such as at the end of Bersih 3.0's rally last April. 

“From what I can see, everybody wants to change, including the police and civil servants, whose eyes are now open.

“Everybody wants change in a good way. We need to use our power to choose well in the coming general election,” she said.

10.40am: Jalan Thambipillay 4, Brickfields - Cartoonist Zunar is leading a group of about 100 youths by the roadside in chants of "Hidup, Hidup, Hidup Rakyat". 

They also chanted "Hancur" to several personalities including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

Clad in yellow T-shirts, they held up banners that read "Kumpulan Kartunis Independen". Several vehicles that passed them honked in support, sending them into wild cheers.

10.45am: Stadium Merdeka - Controversial carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishan showed up at the entrance of the stadium, about three hours before the rally is due to begin.

Dressed in green T-shirt and a pair of green sport shoes, he plans to march together with the PAS leaders and supporters from the party headquarters at Jalan Raja Laut at 11am. The group is estimated to reach the stadium before 2pm.

“I am here to show my support to all Malaysians. We come together to demand that the government must have free and fair elections. The public has already awaken - this is not a tsunami, this is an earthquake.

When asked whether he would like to speak on the stage later this afternoon, he replied: “If I am given the opportunity, yes.”

Deepak’s presence draws some attention from the crowd, with a number of people seeking to have their photographs taken with him.

10.47am: Jalan Sultan - The rally sees two complete strangers - Eric Chong from Kuala Lumpur and Raymond Toh from Penang - become friends when they got into a conversation while purchasing the rally T-shirts and merchandises this morning.

Chong, 60, (left) who work in a factory, is a frequent rally goer. He says both of them have vowed to attend future mammoth rallies together.

"We share the same views, we are brothers," says Chong.

Meanwhile, Toh, 38, a  wholesaler, says the two will exchange contacts. Toh and Chong proudly say they are at today’s rally on their own expenses.

10.55am: Masjid Al-Rahman (UM) - With supporters from Amcorp Mall arriving at the historic university entrance the crowd begin moving to the stadium. UM students are present, bearing a placard ‘Students want a change in government’. Meanwhile in Sultan Sulaiman Club in Dataran the crowd has grown to 150.

KLCC - About 1,000 are now gathered and are awaiting their leaders Mazlan Aliman dan PAS central committee member Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Batu Burok assemblyperson Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi, and about 30 members of PAS’ Unit Amal are present.

10.57am: KLCC - Mazlan speaks and calls Felda chairperson Isa Samad and enemy of the Felda community, who has awakened and is demanding fair and honest treatment. 

“Save Felda, step down, Isa,” he shouts.

The crowd, now 3,000 strong, begin marching to Stadium Merdeka chanting, “Long live the people.” Leading the way are Pakatan leaders such as PAS Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaafar and Teng.

Sultan Sulaiman Club - The crowd marches along Jln Raja Abdullah chanting  “Long live the people,” and “Police, go home.”

A bystander Firdaus Abdul Rahman says he is enjoying watching the action.

But he is unaware of the issues behind the march. “I am open. I do not side any party, as that is our right,” he said.

“It is enjoyable to watch, but I do not know the issues. I am just an observer, it looks like good fun,” said Firdaus from Segambut, who is on his way to Kampung Baru for breakfast.

11am: Little India, Brickfields - Crowd is a bit thin here, numbering at only about 60 people. Shops are blasting Tamil music as housewives pick their vegetables. Business appears to be as usual. It is unclear whether this is indicative of lukewarm support from the Indian community that would normally assemble here for rallies.

A police bus is parked by the roadside but their presence is small. Only five police officers are spotted.

11.03am: Jalan Sultan - Despite the police barring children below 15 from participating in the rally, Chew Lai Ching has brought her entire family.

“I need to let my children know that we are fighting for them and for their future,” she added.

She joined the rally together with her husband and two kids, a three-year old and a six-month old. All of them wear the Himpunan Hijau iconic green T-shirt.

The 35-year-old mother says she had wanted to join earlier rallies but was unable to do so as she needed to take care of her children.

“This time, however, I know it will be a peaceful rally,” she said, adding that her family is supporting the 'green' environmental movement.]

11.22am: Dataran Merdeka - Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack and his fellow steering committee members are outside the iconic square, despite the area being completely sealed by the police.

“Although Dataran is not a meeting point for Himpunan Hijau, but I would like to see the green field every time I come to Kuala Lunpur. I believe one day the people will finally be able to step on this field,” he said.

Over a few hundred protesters are gathered here. Wong Tack says they will walk to Jalan Sultan at around 12 noon and finally head to the stadium.

Himpunan Hijau had initiated the 300km Green March in November last year from Kuantan, but they failed to get into Dataran on arriving in KL.

There are more than hundred of police personnel stationed around the iconic square.

11.25am: Jalan Petaling - The Bersih Mama team is here to promote its bi-monthly publication ‘Sunflower Paper’ and its activities.

Bersih Mama member Ng Kai Chan says Bersih Mama went into the business with the Sunflower Electoral Education (SEED), a group under KLSCAH, to convey messages of the civic struggle nationwide.

"In our first edition which was published last December, we wrote about the rare earth issue, and printed 5,000 copies. We wish to talk about anti-cyanide gold mining issue in the next edition which will be out next week," she tells Malaysiakini.

They plan to print 10,000 copies this time. Ng said they now work on a Bahasa Malaysia edition and wish to release it before Chinese New Year. The group also call for donation for its campaigns.

11:28am: Sultan Sulaiman Club - Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia(Samm) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, arrives and speaks from the top of a Triton truck to about 500 gathered. Earlier the crowd chant, “The youth have awakened.”

Chegubard says they will move through Jalan Raja Abdullah, Jalan Tun TS Lee to Jalan Sultan, where they intend to converge with Husam’s group from KLCC.

11.35am: KLSCAH - About 10,000 people are at Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), having earlier marched from Masjid Negara. They are now a stone's throw away from Stadium Merdeka.

11.37am: KLCC - The crowd has doubled to roughly 2,500. Dzulkefly and Royalti leader R Nazri Deraman are among those speaking about the return of Kelantan and Terengganu’s oil royalties to the peoples of the states. They also speak out against the Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGV) controversial listing. 

“Today is a historic day, the KL112 rally is uniting all the people’s protests, in order that Malaysia can progress, in order to create change.

“We demand the oil royalties that have been denied Kelantan and Terengganu who have till now been betrayed (by the federal government). We also want the rights of Felda settlers upheld,” said Dzulkefly

The crowd is chanting, “Return our royalties. We demand our royalties, this is the people’s right.” Other leaders present are Anak’s Mazlan and Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim.

11.45am: Stadium Merdeka - The crowd from Masjid Negara has arrived at the stadium, clogging up the lower half of the main road. Stall selling refreshments along the streets are doing a roaring business.

The stadium will only be opened to the crowd after 12pm.

11.50am: Brickfields- There are two groups assembled here. The group at Little India has dramatically swelled as their numbers are bolstered by commuters from KL Sentral. The close to 600 people here consist of Orang Asli activists, student activists, Indian NGOs, and party activists.

They are gathered around the iconic elephant water fountain here and encircled by Unit Amal personnel. Meanwhile, over at Jalan Thambipillay 4, the crowd there has also swelled to some 300 people.

12pm: Little India - The crowd burst into cheers as the group from University Malaya march across the bridge to join them, making a total of roughly 5,000. They are marching along Jalan Tun Sambathan towards Pasar Seni and onwards to Stadium Merdeka.

12.12pm: Jalan Ampang - Chegubard’s group is heading towards Jln Gereja, and shops along Jln Ampang are seen to be open and doing business as usual.

Iskandar, a sundry shop owner, says he knew about the rally but decided to open shop anyway.

“I did not close shop today, because they (the rallyers) are not disrupting my business,” he says.

Meanwhile a senior citizen from Maran, Pahang, 65-year-old Osman Mamat says he is happy to be part of the rally as he wants to demand for justice.

“For the sake of justice, it doesn’t matter how far I have to walk. I am not feeling unwell. I am truly here for the cause,” he says.

12.15pm: Stadium Merdeka - The 10,000-strong crowd has entered Stadium Merdeka and getting a seat to be seated.

About one third of the historic stadium has been occupied by the rally participants. Some of them blowing the vuvuzela horns and some of them shouting slogans such as "reformasi".

The majority of the crowd are dressed in the iconic yellow and green shirts, which represent the Bersih and Himpunan Hijau movement.

However some of them also wearing the red and black T-shirts with "Royalti" on it, in reference to the Kelantan oil royalty movement.

It is a multiracial crowd, many of whom are PAS supporters.

12.20pm: KLCC-Jln Ampang - The group has swollen to 10,000 and have reached Dang Wangi LRT station. As they march they chant, “Destroy BN,” and “There are no barriers, move on smoothly.”

Little India - Three pickups with ‘Medical Team’s stickers are seen accompanying the procession.

12.25pm: PWTC LRT station - Three Sabahans have spent RM750 each to fly to KL to participate in the rally.

Abdul Momin, 43, says this is the first time he is in Kuala Lumpur to participate in a rally.

"I come here because I want to show that Sabahans are part of the cause for change."

The former Umno member says he has joined Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah, which is led by Beaufort MP Lajim Ukim, who defected from Umno last year.

12.33pm: KLCC - Jln Ampang is filled to the brim as the group from KLCC moves past. Passing vehicles sound their horns and the crowd cheers back in appreciation. Traffic police are directing the traffic.

The group, with Husam leading, meet up with Chegubard’s group and together they head to Jln Sultan as the crowd continues to swell.

12.45pm: Little India - The groups from Brickfields, UM dan Amcorp Mall converge with the Masjid Negara group and head towards Stadium Merdeka through Jln Syed Putra. The police assigned to assist the media have yet to be seen, only traffic police and regular uniformed police.

12.48pm: Pasar Seni LRT station - Slight drizzle starts as hundreds of Pakatan supporters walk towards the stadium. Most of them wear yellow and green.

12.59pm: Jalan Sultan-Jalan Hang Jebat - A 5,000-strong crowd marches to Stadium Merdeka, with some shouting "Bersih".

A few police on motorbikes are seen entering Jalan Sultan, the crowd responds by cheering. The police officers wave and smile at the crowd.

A participant in the crowd has a yellow vest with "My Name is Deepak" scrawled on it.

1pm: Jalan Tun Perak- The Samm group is moving past Menara Maybank towards Jalan Sultan, chanting, “People, rise,” and, “We fight the corrupt regime,” while some are carrying posters calling for an end to the student loan PTPTN and “Justice for (the late DAP aide) Teoh Beng Hock”.

1.04pm: KLCC - En route to Jln Sultan, Husam makes a speech calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to respond to allegations from businessman Deepak Jaikishan related to murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“Answer on the issue of Altantuya. Why keep silent? If it is a health issue, he can respond, but on the Altantuya issue, he remains silent,” says Husam.

He adds that former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad today was reported calling on leaders “with problems” to step down.

On the issue of Kelantan’s oil royalties, he challenged Kelantan Umno liaison committee chairman Mustapa Mohamed to hold a forum to discuss the latter’s claim that giving 20 percent royalties to the five oil producing states - Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak - would bankrupt the nation.

“Umno leaders whose brains are bankrupt are the ones who will bankrupt the nation. 20 percent oil royalties for the Bidayuh, Kadazan, the poor in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang will bring hope to elevate (these communities),” he said.

“All these states have 96 (parliamentary) seats. If we can get these seats, Najib will crank up his engines and leave the country,” he added.

1.05pm: Maharajalela monorail station - Near the station Baling councillor Chandra M Subramaniam gives a speech in Chinese. He says he has brought three busloads from Baling to join the rally.

1.05pm: Stadium Merdeka - A big group of women participants arrive at the stadium, having marched from Central Market.

Clad in iconic purple colour, the women carried banners with various messages including the demand for free education, end of corruption, women’s power as well as justice for Teoh Beng Hock.

The police estimate the crowd size both in and outside of the stadium at around 40,000 people.

Many of the participants are still queuing up outside as the Unit Amal team only allowed the participants into the stadium in batches.

1.22pm: KLSCAH - A estimated crowd of 15,000 gathers in front of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, waiting for their turn to move into Stadium Merdeka. They are quiet and calm.

1.23 pm: Jln Sultan - Rallyers from Samm are sitting down in respect as one of their members intone the zohor azan. They will then proceed to Stadium Merdeka and hold the proper zohor prayers there.

Meanwhile the KLCC crowd has arrived, chanting, “Step down, BN step down,” and “Takbir!” and head towards Puduraya.

1.45pm: Outside Stadium Merdeka - Business has been brisk for hawkers in the vicinity of the stadium. Mansur Ahmad, 56, says he has sold over 500 kebabs.

"Today, I made RM1,000," he beams.

Mansur has also set up a stall at the Kelab Sultan Sulaiman yesterday, where there was pre-rally gathering.

His daughter, Faeza Mansor, 28, who operates a soup noodle business besides Mansur’s kebab stall, says business has been unusually good.

She estimates about 1,000 bowls of soup noodle sold so far. 

"My sister doesn't even want to mince the beef anymore. She is too tired to do it!" she joked.

Faeza is being helped by six of her siblings.

1.50pm: Dang Wangi OCPD Zainuddin Ahmad in a press conference today uploaded on Youtube says the situation is so far incident free, and that no bombs have been found despite earlier reports.

“So far there have been no untoward incidents or situations of danger to the participants or the public.

“The roads that are closed are Jln Raja, Datok Onn roundabout, Dataran Merdeka, Jln Ampang, Jln Tun Razak, Jln Pudu, jalan Sultan and Jln Hang Tuah.

“Till now there have been no arrests by the police, and as I said, there are no cases of attention till now,” he said.

On the suspected explosives reported in KLCC, he said the bomb squad has investigated and found nothing but empty boxes.

“Similarly for the materials found in front of the Bar Council, we only found a bag and after inspecting it, did not find any explosives.”

He also estimates the crowd in the stadium to be 20,000 to 25,000 and up to 20,000 outside.

1.57pm: Outside Stadium Merdeka (main gate) - An estimated 20,000 people begin to move into the stadium.

Leaders of rally co-organisers - Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Felda Anak and Royalti - were seen on top a jeep leading the crowd.

2pm: Stadium Merdeka - Overall, the marches to the stadium has been mostly smooth, with the police helping to control traffic.

There are impromptu marches all over downtown Kuala Lumpur and more of this can be expected because some groups, such as one currently in Masjid Negara, will only march after zohor prayers, which means they will march only after the rally is officially underway.

2.10pm: Stadium Merdeka - The rally kicks off with the singing of the national anthem as thousands of participants still making their the way into the stadium.

There are loudspeakers mounted outside the stadium for the benefit of those still queuing to go in.

2.20pm: Stadium Merdeka - An estimated 70,000 are in and outside stadium. The weather is cloudy but the earlier drizzler has stopped. A police helicopter is seen hovering above the city.

2.29pm: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is scheduled to address the rally later today, issues a statement to Malaysians and supporters abroad asking them to provide support to their fellow citizens in the country by spreading information about today's rally.

“Keep tweeting and posting all day, keep talking, keep sharing, every voice matters, every effort adds on to building a flood of hope, and by the day dwarfing the dam of intolerance and aloofness built by those who rule today. 

“That one day, the dam will break and sunlight will shine again in our lives,” he said in the statement.

2.30pm: Jalan Imbi, Hang Tuah LRT Station - Despite the rally already underway half an hour ago, there are still many participants on the way to the stadium.

Many protesters, dressed in yellow and green, were spotted at the Hang Tuah LRT station. In addition, many Muslims participants just started to walk towards the stadium after their prayers at the Albukhary mosque.

The stadium is about 1km from both the LRT station and the mosque. 

[More to follow]