» The Rally in Kuala Lumpur: The massive public demonstration was engineered as a demand for reforms to Malaysia’s electoral process. The ruling party’s opposition claim a there’s a corrupting bias in the Election Commission, as well as fraudulent voter names on registration rolls. The state, led by Prime Minister Najib Razak (who’s political coalition has been in power for 55 years) prepared with barricades to keep protesters from Independence Square; when they threatened to push through the barricades, the police deployed teargas. State officials claim 222 protesters were arrested, and 3 were injured, along with 20 injured police, who they claim showed “utmost restraint.”
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Teargas, water cannons fired at Malaysian pro-democracy protesters: The protesters showed up on the streets of Kuala Lumpur Saturday, despite lockdown orders, fighting for electoral reform — or, as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim put it: “The message we are sending to Najib is that we must have clean elections!” The crackdown, a year after a similar crackdown, raised questions about Malaysian PM Najib Razak’s commitment to expanding civil liberties. (AP photo)
We had an Arab Spring. Does this portend the beginning of a Sub-Saharan Summer?
Some protesters are demanding President Bingu wa Mutharika’s resignation…
The demonstrations were called to protest against rising fuel prices, a shortage of foreign exchange reserves, alleged bad governance and poor international relations.
Last week, the UK cut direct aid to Malawi after a diplomatic spat with Mr Mutharika’s government.
The UK accused Malawi of mishandling the economy and failing to uphold human rights.
The government recently passed an austerity budget, raising taxes to reduce dependence on aid.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 (60p) a day.
They wouldn’t be alone … Malaysia had a similar spate of protests, too, recently. Perhaps we’ve gotten beyond the Arab Spring? To put a pop-culture spin on this: Remember how around 2006 or so when seemingly every indie rock band and musician appeared to be getting fame via blog/MySpace attention, and how the media was quick to play it up? And how that’s basically a way of life these days? Well, what if we’ve gotten to the point where this is just how it happens — where movements just build upon the successes and failures of other protest movements, word spreads, and further movements and learn to grow from them? Even taking the computers and phones out of the equation, it seems like that wouldn’t be a stretch.
All in an effort to protest the regime: Is the Arab Spring spreading out of the Middle East and North Africa? Based on the nature of the protests in Malaysia, you have to wonder. Nearly 1,600 protesters were arrested, and a dozen people hurt, all in the wake of protests against Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government that officials went out of their way to prevent. The protests, which are pushing for electoral reform the opposition says is necessary, became strongly violent as Razak’s government showed its strength.”What is the necessity for a show of might against right?” asked opposition coalition leader Ambiga Sreenavasan. ”No matter what, right will always prevail.” source
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