Malaysians protest to demand reinstatement of graft charges against Ahmad Zahid: ‘justice for all’

A High Court in Kuala Lumpur two weeks earlier discharged Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from 47 charges of corruption linked to a charity foundation that he established.

The move sparked backlash from both opposition and government supporters, who slammed Anwar for allegedly turning his back on his anti-corruption pledge.

Anwar has denied that his administration is walking back on its anti-graft stance, saying that it was entirely the decision of the attorney general based on facts that sufficiently disproved the charges levied against Ahmad Zahid.

Organisers of the rally had pushed a social media campaign over the past week, urging the public to turn out in force to protest against the court’s decision to discharge Ahmad Zahid from his charges.

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Rally organiser Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said they want the government to fulfil three demands – reinstate charges against Ahmad Zahid, ensure Malaysia’s anti-graft agency and the attorney general are freed from government control and “justice for all”.

“We don’t want someone who stole something worth 22 ringgit (US$4.70) to end up being jailed for 10 years while someone who stole millions walks free,” he said to cheers from the crowd.

The rally started from the Malay enclave of Kampung Baru in the heart of the city, where some 300 protesters gathered before embarking on a 30-minute march to a popular shopping centre, where the crowd grew to about 500 people amid a moderate police presence.

Protesters called for Ahmad Zahid to be brought back before the courts and shouted “Reformati”, a play on Anwar’s famed “Reformasi” reform slogan, to say that his reforms were dead.

A rally attendee said it was important to show the ruling government that there are things that it needs to address urgently.

“Living costs have shot up, people struggle to afford necessities like rice and vegetables, and suddenly news came that the corruption charges against the deputy prime minister were dropped,” said 23-year-old engineering student who gave his name as Harith.

“I was shocked. This [corruption] case had gone on for so long and it should have continued … the government needs to do something about this and all the other problems the people face,” he said.

Tun Faisal said the campaign to demand the prime minister live up to his anti-corruption promise will continue until the government meets their three demands.

“We will continue with our efforts to defend Malaysia,” he said at the rally after lodging a police report at a nearby station.