Members of the public taking part in the Tangkap Azam Baki rally have begun moving towards Dataran Merdeka after gathering earlier in front of the Sogo shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur.
The assembly remained peaceful under the watch of the authorities, although the situation turned slightly tense at one point, when firecrackers were set off in front of Sogo during the gathering.
Earlier, participants had assembled despite unfavourable weather, with rain briefly disrupting proceedings.
However, they remained undeterred and continued with the rally.
They were heard chanting “hidup rakyat”, “bangkit rakyat” and “Azam Baki, you are a liar” as the crowd formed.
‘Square belongs to the people’
A large group of nearly 1,000 protesters arrived at the location at about 4.30pm.
However, authorities had closed and tightly controlled Dataran Merdeka.
Rally participants then chanted “the square belongs to the people” as they called on the authorities to allow them to assemble.
Former PKR deputy president and Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli was also seen among the participants.
Tensions escalated when authorities moved to tow a vehicle being used as a makeshift stage for speeches, prompting participants to form a barricade to stop it from being seized.
The situation flared up again when police escorted Rafizi away to Dataran Merdeka.
However, the former economy minister later defused the mood upon his return, explaining that he had been taken aside to discuss a time limit for the protest.
Following this, the group agreed with the police's decision to allow the rally to continue for another 20 minutes.
Malaysiakini estimated the crowd at approximately 1,000, while the Tangkap Azam Baki secretariat claimed that 1,500 rally-goers had taken part. The police put the figure at 300.
60 days
After the rally, its organisers, the Tangkap Azam Baki secretariat, said it is giving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Madani government 60 days to meet its demands.
In a statement, it said its first demand is for the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) headed by a respected figure, such as former chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, to probe the "corporate mafia" allegations involving the MACC.
It added that the RCI must be free of political or governmental influence, including that of the attorney-general.
Secondly, it called for the MACC's independence as well as parliamentary oversight in the chief commissioner's appointment.
"These two demands are the starting point for efforts to restore the country's integrity from being further tarnished by vested interests who only want to fill their own pockets by siphoning off the country's wealth," it said.
The secretariat said it will continue to mobilise NGOs, youth associations, student movements, and political parties to ensure its demands are implemented.
Apart from Rafizi, the PKR MPs seen attending were Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail and Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung. Also present was DAP’s Kota Melaka MP, Khoo Poay Tiong.
PAS' Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, the Islamist party's youth information chief Khairul Nadzir Helmi Azhar, and former Penang deputy chief minister and Urimai president P Ramasamy were also in attendance.
Also spotted were activist Hishammuddin Rais and controversial businessperson Albert Tei.
- Mkini
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