KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian authorities have denied suppressing dissent despite making mass arrests and unleashing tear gas against at least 20,000 demonstrators who marched for electoral reforms.
The political fallout from rare scenes of mayhem in Kuala Lumpur is certain to complicate efforts by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ruling coalition to bolster its support ahead of general elections that many expect to be held within a year.
International rights groups and Malaysian opposition parties denounced the crackdown on Saturday’s rally.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein insisted in a statement received Sunday that the demonstrators sought to “create chaos in this country and hoped to be arrested in order to portray the government as cruel.”
