Scores of activists protested Wednesday outside Malaysia’s Parliament against the government’s plan to redraw electoral boundaries, denouncing it as a method of “cheating” to ensure victory for the ruling coalition in the upcoming general election.
Embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak sought parliamentary approval for the new voting maps, which critics say will worsen inequality among the constituencies and etch them based on racial lines in favour of Najib’s ruling coalition.
Activists say the changes will mean that a ruling party candidate will need fewer votes than an opposition lawmaker to win elections.
Advertisement
Yellow-shirt activists and opposition leaders marched Wednesday from a nearby park but were blocked from entering Parliament by anti-riot police.
“This is the biggest cheating to ever happen,” said activist Maria Chin Abdullah, slamming the government for seeking to push through the unconstitutional changes despite ongoing legal challenges against it in court.
Advertisement
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who now heads the opposition alliance, called Najib a “monster” and a “rogue”.
Police stand guard as Bersih supporters protest against a controversial proposal to redraw electoral boundaries outside Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Reuters
