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LIVE: Rally goers pack Dataran Merdeka for Bersih 4 finale

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who made a surprise visit to the Bersih 4 rally last night dropped in for another visit this afternoon. The former prime minister arrived about 4.30pm at Central Market in Kuala Lumpur and was immediately swarmed by rally goers. Accompanying him were his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, and former Umno minister Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim. Dr Mahathir said he was not there for Bersih's demands. "I am just here (to demand) for Najib's resignation," he said, reiterating his calls that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should step down. Yesterday, Dr Mahathir, accompanied by Dr Siti Hasmah, had made a brief stop near Dataran Merdeka, surprising rally goers. The organisers, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0), too, were unaware that Dr Mahathir had planned to drop by as hours before that in Johor, he had said that he was mulling over it. The presence of Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister at the rally created a frenzy with many wanting to take pictures with him and shake his hand. Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah only stayed for about five minutes before leaving in a police car. Organisers said about 300,000 people had turned up for the second day of the rally and more are expected later tonight. Yesterday, some 200,000 people were estimated at the rally's peak about 4pm, according to the organiser, electoral reform group Bersih 2.0, although police put the number at 29,000. The rallies in Kuching, Sarawak, and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, however ended prematurely earlier today. In Kuching, organisers ended the rally after they felt that the participants had flouted several rules. Bersih Kuching organising chair Nicholas Mujah said the presence of "so many children" at the rally last night had forced the organisers in Kuching to end the rally early today. It was supposed to have ended at midnight today. – August 30, 2015. The Malaysian Insider is bringing live updates on the Bersih 4 rally here: SUNDAY, 10.30pm: The crossroads at Jalan Raja, Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman are packed with rally goers moving slowly through the crowd to Dataran Merdeka. At the same time, a Merdeka's eve performance is taking place at a temporary stage put up by rally organisers in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad building. Rally goers sing "Sejahtera Malaysia" and are still in high spirits although the rally had entered its 32nd hour. 10.27pm: "Today we are all criminals because (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad) Zahid Hamidi has banned the Bersih T-shirts. But what did we do? 300,000 came," says lawyer New Sin Yew who is among the crowd at Dataran Merdeka enjoying the performances. 10.01pm: Lawyer and human rights activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan is seen among rally goers at Dataran Merdeka. 9.50pm: At least four ceramah are being held 30m apart in Jalan Tun Perak, causing the movement of rally goers heading for Dataran Merdeka to be delayed as they stop to listen to the speakers. At the same time shouts of "Bersih! Bersih!" fill the air. 9.04pm: Bersih volunteers invited to stage to give speeches. 9pm: PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli tells the crowd at Dataran Merdeka that all Malaysians have gathered to save the country from "the worst prime minister in our history". "If we don't remove Najib, more money will disappear." 8.25pm: Former PAS leader Datuk Husam Musa said Najib needed to step down. "Najib must go, then Malaysia will grow," he said, 8.26pm: Vuvuzela sound fills the air as more rally goers head to Dataran Merdeka. 8.20pm: Bersih secretariat hands over a drunk man to the police for further action. Bersih activist Mandeep Singh says the man refused to leave the area. 7.30pm: Despite a slight drizzle, the number of rally goers continues to swell, especially around the Masjid Jamek LRT station. Everyone is trying to make their way to Dataran Merdeka. 7pm: PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad is spotted in an official yellow Perak PAS T-shirt near Dataran Merdeka. He is accompanied by some friends and declines to comment when approached by the media. 6.56pm: Rally goers at Dataran Merdeka amuse themselves with vuvuzelas while waiting for the next programme, which will include speeches from leaders and activists, to resume at 9pm. 6.55pm: Police say holding the Merdeka Day concert at Bukit Jalil was decided earlier on and was not because of the Bersih 4 rally at Dataran Merdeka. 6.02pm: A lion dance heads in the direction of Masjid Jamek, accompanied by cheers of "Bersih" from rally goers. 4.30pm: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali arrive at Central Market where they were swarmed by rally goers. 4.12pm: The rain at the main stage area at Dataran Merdeka has subsided and the crowd is singing along with BangsArt. 4.09pm: The boisterous crowd at Masjid Jamek LRT station continues to chant "Bersih" and blow the vuvuzela. 4.05pm: Many rally goers had also stayed put at the main stage to watch the performance by musical group BangsArt. 4.04pm: Rally goers brave the rain and march towards the Bersih main stage at Dataran Merdeka. 3.53pm: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected at the Masjid Jamek LRT station at 4.30pm. 3.39pm: The speeches in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman have been stopped as rally-goers seek shelter from the rain at the stalls in Jalan Masjid India and Jalan Melayu. 3.37pm: Despite the rain, some rally goers singing "Terima Kasih Rakyat Malaysia". (Thank you, Malaysians) 3.34pm: Rally-goers seek shelter as it starts to rain in Dataran Merdeka and surrounding areas. 3.30pm: Strong winds and rain clouds at Dataran Merdeka. 3.28pm: Crowd showed support for Sultan of Johor by shouting "Daulat Tuanku", led by Seri Delima assemblyman, R.S.N. Rayer. 3.10pm: Lawyer and human rights advocate Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said: "I have always believed Malaysians will never fail to champion patriotism. The patriotic goes to the ground to defend the rights of Malaysians.” “If there is a negative element, we will not hesitate to defend the country. This is the right platform to voice our dissatisfaction with corruption. If the people are dissatisfied, we must voice it out. This is our responsibility to the present and future generations." 3.08pm: In addition to Masjid Jamek and Dataran Merdeka, the crowd is also filling up Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, where another truck with a makeshift stage has been set up. 3.05pm: Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh addressed rally-goers at the main stage, saying: "We have passed the 24-hour mark, I'm proud that at least 300,000 to 400,000 have come to show support and disapproval of current regime. 1MDB is our new four letter word, we are not allowed to say it. You can fool the people sometimes but you can't fool the people all the time." 2.43pm: Slight drizzle in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur. 2.27pm: Programmes at the stage in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman have also resumed. 2.20pm: The programme resumes at the Bersih main stage with a representative from Ikram addressing the crowd. 2.15pm: Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah and a representative from Suhakam were seen talking to the Dang Wangi police OCPD. 2.05pm: The Bersih 4 rally has officially passed the 24-hour mark. Many of the rally-goers who have been at Dataran Merdeka since yesterday are taking a rest after the Zohor prayers and they look set to stay until midnight when the rally officially ends. 12.57pm: Eateries in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur enjoy brisk business from rally-goers who are on their lunch break. 12.48pm: At Medan Pasar in Kuala Lumpur, there is a festive air with clowns on stilts among those spreading the Bersih message. A non-governmental organisation is also collecting signatures for a protest against the redelineation exercise. 12.35pm: There are at least 40,000 participants in Jalan Tun Perak now, with more arriving. There is a sea of yellow at Masjid Jamek as the crowd chants "jalan, jalan" to urge the static crowd to move. Two trucks have been set up as makeshift stages for leaders to give speeches. 12.06pm: Bersih 4 participants at Dataran Merdeka take a break until 2pm. Muslim rally goers will perform solat Zohor in front of the Bersih stage. Organisers reminded participants to refrain from blowing the vuvuzela during prayer as a mark of respect. 11.59am: Sabah Bersih chairman Jannie Lasimbang declares that the rally is successful despite democracy walk not allowed to continue. 11.58am: Sabah Bersih declares end to democracy walk after not being allowed to go further into city centre. Organisers gave a final speech before asking participants to disperse. 11.53am: Rally goer Devraj, 21, from Petaling Jaya, said he would like to believe that the reason for police not cracking down on the Bersih 4 rally was because the police were either overwhelmed by the huge turnout or they believed in the cause. "I'm not sure why they didn't take any action considering the fact that the Home Ministry had already declared this rally as illegal, but it's a good sign. Kind of proud, it feels like police can relate to whatever we are doing." 11.48am: Kuala Krai MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli said he admired young people like student activists Adam Adli and Shukri Razab. "We the people of Malaysia, we suffer. We have been here for two days. Never before in our history that we have gathered for more than five hours. I salute all of you. If we succeed today, we can do the same thing in future," he told rally-goers. 11.45am: A group of orang asal rally-goers heads to the area near Sogo shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur. 11.44am: Sabah Bersih chairman Jannie Lasimbang asking police manning the barricades to let the democracy walk proceed to Kota Kinabalu city centre. 11.39am: Sabah Bersih leaders negotiate with police to allow the march to Kota Kinabalu city centre to proceed. 11.38am: Crowd getting too big in Jalan Tun Perak, organisers asking people to go to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Raja Laut. 11.35am: Federal Reserve Unit personnel has put a barricade to prevent Sabah Bersih participants from marching any further into Kota Kinabalu city centre. 11.27am: At another stage near Masjid Jamek LRT station, organisers allow a participant to address the crowd. 11.10am: Many rally-goers can be seen seeking shelter from the scorching sun under the bleachers set up for the National Day celebrations. 11.07am: Four police reports have been lodged against the Bersih 4 rally in Kuching, said Kuching OCPD ACP Roslan Bek. 11.05am: Police are still manning the barricades preventing Bersih 4 rally goers from entering Dataran Merdeka. 11.02am: Rally-goers at Dataran Merdeka have occupied many of the seats erected for the National Day celebrations. 10.53am: Organisers have officially cancelled the Bersih 4 rally in Kuching, Sarawak today. Organisers said the loss of their public address system and the presence of "so many children", which flouted one of the rules, as the reasons for the cancellation. 10.52am: Sabah Bersih makes second brief stop along democracy walk at Taman Teluk Likas I on their way to Kota Kinabalu city centre. 10.33am: Sabah Bersih's makes their first stop at the roundabout opposite the Masjid Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu along its democracy walk to enable participants to catch their breath. They also sing a few songs. 10.27am: The crowd heading to the Bersih mainstage has swelled to more than 5,000, with more coming in from the direction of Masjid Jamek and surrounding areas. There are a series of dance and song performances going on now. 10.25am: Student activist Adam Adli takes over as vocalist for musical group BangsArt that is entertaining rally-goers at Dataran Merdeka as regular vocalist Amir Abd Hadi is having a sore throat. He is expected to be back tonight with a new song. 10.18am: More than 3,000 marching to Dataran Merdeka from Dataran Maybank in Jalan Tun Perak. 10.10am: Penang deputy chief minister Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon said today's rally is not disrupting National Day celebrations tomorrow. 10.08am: Bersih Sabah democracy walk in Kota Kinabalu is off to a boisterous start despite lower turnout believed to be due to police road blocks. 10.04am: Hundreds more are coming from Dataran Maybank in Pudu. Traffic as usual at Lebuh Ampang and Jalan Tun Perak intersection. Participants are only gathering after the intersection that heads to Dataran Merdeka. 10.01am: Sabah Bersih participants observe a minute of prayer before starting their democracy walk. 10am: LRT trains are full of people wearing yellow heading to the city centre to join other rally-goers. 9.58am: Sabah Bersih participants prepare for their democracy walk to Kota Kinabalu city centre. 9.49am: Crowd at Dataran Merdeka swells as rally-goers from Dataran Maybank at Pudu make their way to the iconic square. Most are walking, but some have also taken the LRT. 9.30am: The singing of the national anthem, Negaraku, follows the interfaith prayers. 9.15am: Interfaith prayers are held after the morning exercises. A Buddhist monk, followed by three Muslim men, led in prayers according to their respective faiths from atop a lorry that is used as a makeshift stage for Bersih 4. 9am: Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah meets reporters at the protest scene near Dataran Merdeka. She says it is not entirely true that Malays are not participating in Bersih 4, in response to news reports that rally participants were overwhelmingly of other races. "We can't discount that there is more non-Malay participation. But it's not like Malay participation is non-existent. This is a natural cause by all Malaysians, and we should not see it according to race," she said. Military helicopters fly above the square. After Maria speaks, Bersih 2.0 representative Ivy Josiah stands on a stage and leads hundreds of rally-goers in morning exercises and stretches. A group of volunteers, dressed in Bersih 4 t-shirts, have also begun segregating waste collected in garbage bags at the intersection of Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Raja. 8.30am: In Kota Kinabalu, as volunteers prepared breakfast for Bersih 4 protesters camping at Taman Teluk Likas Dua, police in both uniform and plain clothes have arrived and surrounded the campsite. Some officers start moving in to talk to rally goers ahead of the group's planned democracy walk. Police also start taking down the identity card particulars of some Sabah Bersih participants. 8.20am: In the daylight, the work of some protesters during the night is now visible, with roads around Dataran Merdeka scrawled in coloured chalk. Protesters had drawn the Malaysian flag, as well as written slogans like "We want change", "We want clean and fair", "We want peace" and "Hey Malaysia, is (sic) time to wake up!" Police officers have taken up positions behind the barricade around Dataran Merdeka. 7.55am: As protesters in Kuala Lumpur stir from an incident-free night on the streets, Bersih 4 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah appears set for a deadlock between police and protesters who are determined to go ahead with a 6km democracy walk in the state capital. Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens, which protesters had planned to use for the walk, is empty after police sealed it this morning. Despite this and warnings from the police, people are still trickling in from distant parking spots for the walk. 7.30am: In Kota Kinabalu, police have sealed all roads that lead to the Bersih 4 campsite in Taman Teluk Likas Dua in Kota Kinabalu in anticipation of this morning's democracy walk. Police had already warned protesters against proceeding with the 6km walk. 6.50am: PKR's Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, also known as Tian Chua, addresses a small group of protesters outside the Sultan Abdul Samad building. Also with him is Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad who urged rally-goers to stay on for the rest of the 34-hour demonstration. "I'm confident that Bersih 4 can draw a high number even though the hours are challenging," Khalid said. Protesters who had slept on the roads begin stirring and are getting their things together. 6.44am: Some protesters are seen walking away from the main protest area around Dataran Merdeka. One of them said he was going home to take a bath but would likely return later. Earlier, the rally goers who were distributing free coffee to fellow-protestors said they had mixed 10kg of coffee powder in order to prepare 2,000 cups of the beverage. The group help yellow posters which said "Tak Mau Duit Kopi", a colloquial phrase in Bahasa Malaysia that translates to "say no to bribes". 6.10am: Gerakan Harapan Baru chairman Mohamad Sabu is leading a group of rally goers in the solat subuh near Dataran Merdeka. A cheerful-looking Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang emerges from his tent, as other protestors stir. 5.30am: As dawn approaches, some Bersih supporters begin pouring out coffee, serving 2,000 cups of the beverage free to other rally goers who have spent the night sleeping around Dataran Merdeka. At the intersection of Lebuh Ampang and Jalan Tun Perak, members and supporters of opposition party Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) have put up traffic cones to block the road where protesters are sleeping, and are urging motorcyclists, including policemen, to avoid entering the area and disturbing people. "Everyone so far has been understanding when we turned them away, even the police," said PSM member and Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar. 4.15am: While many are resting on the ground or sleeping, a small crowd has formed around two rally goers who are using chalk and the pavement as their canvas to express their unhappiness with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. One of their drawings shows a donation box with "2.6b" written on it, in reference to the RM2.6 billion donation channelled into the prime minister's accounts, a large portion of which was deposited before the May 2013 general election. Najib is now under pressure to account for the deposit amid other alleged scandals involving his brainchild, debt-ridden state investor 1Malaysia Development Bhd. Many more protesters are sprawled out on the middle of the road on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a sea of yellow-clad bodies resting next to each other. 3.15am: Despite the rough sleeping conditions – some protesters are making do with newspapers and concrete pavement – no one can complain that they are going hungry. Every few metres, rally goers are offering free food, from nasi lemak to fried bee hoon to sand-wiches. They said the food was sponsored by "major corporations". Food and drinks are also being sold at makeshift stands, while 24-hour stores in the vicinity like 7-11, are seeing a steady stream of yellow-clad customers. 2.50am: Despite the lateness of the hour, young children are still seen among the protesters around Dataran Merdeka, some of them shouting "Bersih!" whenever groups of other rally goers begin chanting. One family with young children had come from Port Dickson and said they were excited to be in the capital city for the marathon 34-hour rally. Forsyn Soh, 41, had also brought along her daughter, aged six. "I told her to stay at home, but she insisted on coming," Soh said, adding that this was the first time she and her family were participating in a street rally. "I feel very patriotic coming to the rally. I'm here for the same reason everyone else is, for justice." The Home Ministry on Friday evening before Saturday's rally officially banned yellow clothing and the words "Bersih 4" under the act. 2.17am: A civic education workshop is taking place outside the Kuala Lumpur City Hall building on the five-foot way along Jalan Raja Laut. A group of 20 are holding a mock parliamentary debate, mimicking a Dewan Rakyat session, on what should be done after the Bersih 4 rally concludes tomorrow. Near the Sultan Abdul Samad building across Dataran Merdeka, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has pitched a tent where he is spending the night. 2.04am: President of the Malaysian Bar Steven Thiru confirms the arrests of several people in Malacca under the Printing Presses and Publications Act for wearing Bersih T-shirts. PKR deputy information chief Ginie Lim had tweeted earlier that more than 20 people were arrested under the act about 9.30pm yesterday. "In Balai Banda Kaba now," she said. 1.05am: A medical team stationed near Dataran Merdeka says they have treated 13 cases of food poisoning about an hour ago. The cause was believed to be free packet drinks handed out to rally goers. Six patients were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital, among them two children below the age of 10. The eldest victim was a 52-year-old. 12.48am: Near the barricades around Dataran Merdeka, protesters are preparing to sleep, with some bedding down on sleeping mats while others are simply lying on the road using their backpacks as pillows. Yellow banners put up by Bersih 2.0 around the barricades remind rally goers not to cross the line into the square. Nearby, other protesters have tied raffia around poles as a makeshift barrier to stop people from crossing into Dataran Merdeka. 12.30am: Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo of DAP is seen autographing Bersih 4 T-shirts and posing for photos with rally goers near Dataran Merdeka. There is minimal police presence and only traffic policemen at that. Some are seen near the Sogo shopping complex and also near the Swiss Hotel directing traffic. 12.09am: Protesters have pitched tents in front of the Masjid Jamek LRT station. Thousands of protesters are still outside the OCBC bank along Jalan Tun Perak stretching to Dataran Merdeka.