Dr Mahathir makes 2nd appearance at Bersih 4 rally

KUALA LUMPUR — Dr Mahathir Mohamad who made a surprise visit to the Bersih 4 rally last night (Aug 29) dropped in for another visit this afternoon.

The former prime minister arrived about 4.30pm at Central Market in Kuala Lumpur and was immediately swarmed by rally goers. Accompanying him were his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, and former UMNO minister Mohd Zaid Ibrahim.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir, accompanied by Dr Siti Hasmah, had made a brief stop near Dataran Merdeka, surprising rally goers.

Organisers, too, were unaware that Dr Mahathir had planned to drop by as hours before that in Johor, he had said that he was mulling over it.

The presence of Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister at the rally created a frenzy with many wanting to take pictures with him and shake his hand.

He even said a few words, “Teruskan, teruskan”, urging those gathered for the Bersih 4 rally to continue their fight in calling for a clean government.

Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah only stayed for about five minutes before leaving in a police car.

As he got into his car and drove away, the crowd erupted into a bigger cheer.

Dr Mahathir has been Prime Minister Najib Razak’s biggest critic over the past year in the wake of controversies surrounding the latter’s administration.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the home minister and Umno vice-president, had said Dr Mahathir’s presence at the rally should not be “supported”.

“Don’t give support to a leader who comes to the rally for only six minutes,” he had said in reference to the former prime minister’s brief appearance at the rally yesterday.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Dr Md Salleh Said Keruak had expressed his disappointment over the brief visit by Dr Mahathir at the Bersih 4 rally yesterday.

He had said it was as if Dr Mahathir was in league with the organiser of the illegal rally, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0).

The scene in Kuala Lumpur continues to be peaceful so far, and police have not moved in against protesters here who have gathered around the the historic Dataran Merdeka, which will be the site of the 58th Merdeka Day celebrations tomorrow.

Yesterday, some 200,000 people were estimated at the rally’s peak about 4pm, according to the organiser, electoral reform group Bersih 2.0, although police put the number at 29,000.

It remains to be seen if the rally, which is being held to demand institutional reforms, clean government, the right to process and measures to save the economy, can improve on the numbers it garnered yesterday. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER