KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia— Police detained at least 338 activists trying to assemble at a stadium and sealed off parts of Malaysia’s largest city Saturday in an attempt to prevent a banned rally seeking electoral reforms.
The opposition-backed rally planned for Saturday afternoon is the culmination of weeks of pressure on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s long-ruling coalition to make election laws fairer and more transparent ahead of national polls widely expected by mid-2012. The National Front has been in power since independence from Britain in 1957, but opposition gains in recent years have spurred calls for change.
The Bersih coalition of civic groups organizing the rally has voiced hopes of attracting tens of thousands of people for what would be Malaysia’s biggest political rally in nearly four years.
Many of the typically bustling commercial districts in downtown Kuala Lumpur were eerily empty Saturday as authorities took extraordinary security measures by blocking numerous roads, closing train stations and deploying trucks mounted with water cannons near the Independence Stadium.
The Kuala Lumpur police force said in a statement that it had detained 338 people in a clampdown called “Operation Erase Bersih.” Many were held at public areas where they gathered to start their walk to the stadium.
“The public is reminded not to be involved in any demonstration,” the federal police force said in a separate statement. “Stern action will be taken against those who disobey.”
Numerous restaurants and stores announced they were closed Saturday because of the transportation disruptions and fears of violence. Riot police armed with batons have dispersed opposition rallies in previous years by firing tear gas and chemical-laced water at crowds.
Najib and other government officials have declared the rally illegal and accused opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s three-party alliance of endorsing it to cause chaos on the streets and undermine the National Front.
Over the past two weeks, more than 200 other activists have been arrested nationwide for trying to promote the rally. Six are being held under security laws that allow indefinite detention without trial. Most of the others were eventually released, but some were charged with laws banning activities linked to illegal assemblies. They face several years in prison if convicted.
The activists’ demands include an overhaul of voter registration lists, tougher measures to curb fraud and fairer opportunities for opposition politicians to campaign in government-linked media. The National Front’s mandate expires in mid-2013 but many analysts expect elections to be called by next year.
Supporters of the Bersih coalition were also planning solidarity marches over the weekend in foreign cities, including in Australia, Britain, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and the United States.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that the US has been communicating to Malaysia the importance of respecting human rights, including freedom of expression and assembly.
“We consider it incumbent on all sides to refrain from violence, particularly if we’re going to have another rally tomorrow,” she told a news conference Friday.