KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 27, 2011 (IPS) – Following a major rally involving tens of thousands of protesters calling for electoral reforms in Malaysia, someone set up a Facebook page calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down. Within ten days, the number of people who said they “like” the page crossed 200,000.

The rally and the subsequent backlash on social media are a sign of the anger that has been building up among a segment of the population that Najib may have overlooked at his peril: the urban middle class.

And crucially, the response has come from across Malaysia’s ethnic spectrum.

Malaysia is a multiracial country with a relatively young population. Around 70 percent of Malaysians live in urban centres, with rapidly improving Internet connections.

****************

On July 9, police fired tear gas and hosed down tens of thousands of Bersih supporters who took to the streets calling on the government to reform the election processes. A total of 1,667 people were arrested, said to be the largest haul of protesters in one single day in the history of the country.
Bersih estimated the turnout to be 50,000 and condemned police heavy-handedness which led to severe injuries, and a loss of life.

There have also been numerous photographs and videos surfacing online of instances of police beating protesters before arresting them. In one controversial case, the police are also alleged to have fired tear gas into the compound of a maternity hospital.

****************

Political analysts say Najib’s handling of the demonstration showed he is out of step with the sentiment of many Malaysians, in particular, a growing population of young, internet-savvy people who are less afraid to express themselves than their forebears.

“In the 21st century everybody has a mind and wants to express themselves. People were saying we are the boss, we elected you. But this was lost on the government,” says Jahabar Sadiq, chief executive officer of the news portal ‘Malaysian Insider’.

“Peter”, who doesn’t want to be identified by his full name, says he was inspired by video and photos of a frail, elderly lady at the rally who was defiant in the face of tear gas and water cannon. So he set up the Facebook page called Aunty Bersih.

Read more HERE  http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56637

.