Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Malaysian riot police wielding tear gas and water cannons repelled the crowd who took to the streets to protest against the current electoral system. Thousands of demonstrators tried to converge toward the center of the capital Kuala Lumpur, in the direction of Merdeka Square, but security guards blocked the path at the behest of the authorities, who have also set up a security cordon around the site, the symbol ' national independence, with barbed wire and barricades to protect the square.
For the opposition, the current electoral law favours Prime Minister Najib Razak and the ruling UMNO party, the forthcoming general elections are scheduled in 2013 but - according to many analysts - could be anticipated. Among the demands is the extension of the campaign period of 21 days compared to the current seven, the same spaces for government and opposition media and international observers to guarantee the legitimacy of the vote.
Today's demonstration is one of the most impressive in numbers and scope for over a decade. A police spokesman said that the protesters are about 25 thousand. Opposition sources, close to the reformist party Berish ("Clean") contend that there are at least 80 thousand people on the streets of the capital.
Eyewitnesses speak of at least 20 arrests among the protesters, but there is no official confirmation. The security forces say permission to use the historic square for the event had not been granted and anyone who tries to breach the security cordon will be stopped.
The activists took to the streets to denounce the ruling coalition which it says committed fraud at the polls and won with deceit and subterfuge. "There are no perfect elections - says a protester - but we want one that is at least good enough."
