Thousands of supporters of electoral reform group Bersih who have travelled from out of town are gearing up for a 36-hour rally in the Malaysian capital on Saturday to demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The group, many of whom have taken up hotel rooms for the overnight rally, are expected to be joined by thousands of others for the march that starts at 2pm on Saturday.

Similar rallies will take place in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Bersih organisers say thousands of Malaysians in some 70 cities around the world will also hold events in solidarity with the Bersih rallies in Malaysia.

In Kuala Lumpur early Saturday morning, crowds headed to the five rallying points - Sogo shopping mall, National Mosque, Dataran Maybank, Brickfields and Central Market.

Despite a government ban, many protesters were wearing the yellow "Bersih 4" T-shirt as they marched to the meeting points.

The focus will be on Central Market, where one group is expected to be led by Bersih chief Maria Chin Abdullah and possibly opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, wife of jailed opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim.

All five groups will head to Dataran Merdeka, bringing together possibly tens of thousands of people demanding, among other things, the resignation of Najib, who is facing outrage over an alleged multi-million-dollar payment made to his personal bank account.

Police have cordoned off Dataran Merdeka, which will be the venue of Sunday night's Independence Day countdown. Bersih has promised to gather only in the vicinity of the square and not enter it.

But with both events potentially a security and logistical nightmare, it is unlikely that authorities will allow the protestors to stay overnight as planned.

The rally will take place in defiance of warnings from the police and the government that the assembly is illegal and would jeopardise national security.

The government has also banned not just printed materials promoting the rally, but also any clothing that is yellow and which contains the words "Bersih 4".

Under the controversial Printing Presses and Publications Act, those in possession of these items can be fined up to 5,000 ringgit (US$1,198) and those guilty of producing or distributing them can be jailed up to three years.

The order, which took effect on Friday, appears to allow authorities to clamp down at will on tens of thousands expected to show up in the capital wearing the signature yellow associated with Bersih.

But organisers were undeterred by the Home Ministry's ban and told supporters to carry on wearing the yellow T-shirt. The Bersih chief said those who wanted "to be cheeky" could try adding a "point zero" after the number 4 on the shirt.

In a statement on Saturday, opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) said the Barisan Nasional (BN) government need not be afraid of T-shirts,

"They should be afraid of the credibility of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the dire state of the country's economy and investors' confidence due to the image of Najib which has crumbled," PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said.

Popular

Govt eyes September for mass relocation of civil servants to Nusantara

Govt claims 'mudik' 2024 traffic management a success

Public hopes swell ahead of election dispute ruling