MARK COLVIN: Malaysians are bracing for more political turmoil after the country's Opposition ignored a government ban on public meetings.
Thousands of people gathered to protest against inflation and a recent fuel price hike. The meeting was organised by Anwar Ibrahim's loose coalition of Opposition parties.
Last week, Anwar was accused of sodomising an aide, a charge he dismissed as politically motivated.
In a signal that the Government was preparing to take the hard line, the country's Inspector General of Police also announced plans to bring in the military to stop protests if necessary.
Edmond Roy reports.
EDMOND ROY: In the end, the police left the alone and Anwar Ibrahim's supporters got to hear their man rail against the Government one more time. And they were not disappointed.
(Sounds of protesters chanting)
ANWAR IBRAHIM (translated): You say, we cannot lower the price of petrol, I say it's possible. Okay, let's challenge. You say you have governed the country well, we say it is not good. Arrange it now. Let's challenge, through ways that will bring benefit to the people. Don't try to divert attention from the people, this is what I want to convey tonight. Friends, tomorrow we continue, we continue in Parliament, we continue with information. We might rise to save Malaysia.
(Sounds of protesters shouting and clapping)
EDMOND ROY: Wearing red shirts with a slogan "Protest" written on them, the crowd, a mixture that reflected the coalition of parties that make up the Opposition, had come knowing that gathering was illegal.
A day before the nation's Inspector General of Police had threatened to use the army to stop the protests.
It's a reflection of just how popular the Opposition leader has become. But popularity doesn't necessarily equate to power.
Clive Kessler is professor sociology at the University of New South Wales and one of Australia's foremost Malaysia watchers.
CLIVE KESSLER: The situation in Malaysia at the moment is remarkable and that the brave hopes of independence have turned into an unbelievably sordid soap opera and the popular feeling among many people on the streets is precisely that. That in the sense they find the politics unbelievable, damaging and destructive and they see that more clearly than many of the political principles themselves.
EDMOND ROY: He's got a point. Consider this: the Opposition leader of the country is accused of sodomy.
The country's Deputy Prime Minister is accused of conspiring to quash a murder investigation involving his private secretary and two of his bodyguards.
And last week, the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of having sex with the murder victim, Mongolian translator, Altantuya Sharribuu, whose body was blown up with weapons-grade explosives in a forest outside the capital.
Clive Kessler argues this political quagmire has its roots in the past.
CLIVE KESSLER: In a sense, that Dr Mahathir's legacy was to create a very strong personalistic corporate state that was held together by his strength. Now that he's gone, there isn't his strength to hold it together. And the longer-term cost of the… creating that kind of state has to be paid, the bills are falling due and it's a question whether, whether that is sustainable.
EDMOND ROY: If recent events are any guide, it is clearly not sustainable.
Since independence from Britain in 1957, Umno, the ruling party has been steadily losing support.
This despite such innovations as the Bumiputra or 'sons of the soil' policy that enabled the majority Malays to take a strangle hold on the political and economic life of the country.
Today minority groups have successfully challenged the status quo and in March this year, three main opposition parties won a record number of seats and control of five states in the union.
But all of this doesn't necessarily mean that Malaysia's democratic institutions are safe from attack.
CLIVE KESSLER: The likelihood of a Coalition misunderstanding becoming a political understanding and political crisis becoming a public, public order crisis seems to be fairly high. And it's in that context that the police and army came out last week publicly to say well they've already got the contingency plans in place and they're doing the dry run, more or less, to have a polite authoritarian solution to the politicians and the chaos they've created. I think that is the prospect that seems to me to be in the off-ing, rather than continuing democratisation.
Full interview with Clive Kessler on Malaysian politics at: mpegmedia
MARK COLVIN: Malaysia expert, Professor Clive Kessler, speaking with Edmond Roy.
Reporter: Edmond Roy
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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