Protesters gather in downtown Kuala Lumpur to demand PM Muhyiddin’s resignation

KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 31, 2021, ST. About 200 to 300 protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur’s city centre on Saturday (July 31) morning to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, The Straits Times reported.

Roads around Dataran Merdeka have been sealed off as protesters dressed in black took to the streets in a demonstration organised by a coalition of youth and civil society groups, called the Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat.

The coalition is also calling for a full parliamentary sitting and automatic bank loan moratoriums to ease hardship fuelled by the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.

Traffic police and plainclothes police were seen standing by at the scene, The Star reported. Some marshals donning white safety hats and medics wearing red safety hats were also present.

City police chief Azmi Abu Kassim warned that those who violated the standard operating procedures would face police action.

According to The Star, the Commissioner, Datuk Azmi, said the police have not received any application or notice from the organising committee of the proposed gathering.

The protest comes as PM Muhyiddin faces a constitutional crisis amid pressure to step down after clashing with the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah.

The palace on Thursday insisted that the King did not endorse the government’s unilateral move to withdraw the ordinances under the state of emergency which he proclaimed in January. It is due to expire on Sunday.

There were calls, even from Mr Muhyiddin’s own allies, for him to quit.