Kuala Lumpur -Malaysia on Friday banned yellow clothes printed with a popular anti-government slogan ahead of a huge two-day anti-government rally.
The rally is due to start Saturday afternoon in central Kuala Lumpur and in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak.
The order bans any yellow clothing which contains the words `Bersih 4’ and other pamphlets or materials which encourage people to join the rally.
Bersih, the Malay word for clean, refers to the Coalition of Free and Fair Elections.
The coalition comprises 84 non-governmental organisations calling for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia as well as transparency in government.
It is expected to mobilise up to 300,000 people to join the upcoming protest.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister, Najib Razak, questioned the motives behind Saturday’s rally, which he said is aimed at calling for his resignation over the millions of dollars found in his bank accounts.
Najib asked why the demonstration was scheduled so close to the celebration of the country’s Independence Day on Monday.
“Whatever the disagreements or misunderstandings between us, national day should not be a stage of political disputes,” he said in a statement.
The police have declared the rally illegal and authorities have urged people not to join in the protest.
Najib has been under fire during the past month following a report by a popular newspaper in the U.S. that the millions of dollars in his bank accounts could have come from state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
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Najib denied the accusation. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which investigated the case, said the money originated from political donations from the Middle East. (dpa/NAN)