The Malaysian government has blocked a website - Bersih.org - because organizers have planned an anti-government rally his weekend. The Bersih.org website, run by the electoral reform group Bersih, was not accessible in Malaysia on Friday, a day after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that it would ban websites promoting the Bersih 4.0 protest rally.
"MCMC would like to remind the people to be careful in sharing any information in social media or websites, especially information that can contravene Malaysia's laws," the media regulator said in a statement on Thursday, according to Straits Times.
The anti-Najib Razak rally organizers condemned the ban and said the government has no right to block websites. "Blocking Bersih's website is a total violation, not just of Bersih but of every Malaysian who wants to have access to information from our website," Bersih chair Maria Chin Abdullah said, according to Free Malaysia Today. "This is especially since we have a big rally for tomorrow. People have the right to information."
The Bersih 4.0 protest rally, calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak's resignation, is due to be held across three major Malaysian cities including the capital Kuala Lumpur over the weekend, according to BBC. Police have declared the planned rally illegal and a threat to national security.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been under pressure over recent revelations that $700 million was transferred to his personal bank accounts from the state-owned 1MDB fund.
If u still can't find ur global #Bersih4 location, take a photo of urself wearing yellow tomorrow and post to our Facebook
— Global Bersih (@GlobalBersih) August 28, 2015
Pastikan #Bersih4 is by the rakyat for the rakyat. Clean up BOTH sides. All sides. This should not be an anti-gomen/pro-opp rally. — Daphne Iking (@DaphCLPT) August 28, 2015
#Bersih4 in JB last night. pic.twitter.com/HYqH9B0o4I
— Rusty Blade (@PisauKarat) August 28, 2015
