United Malays National Organization and Country National Day

electoral system: The large crowds of protesters, which camped on Kuala Lumpur streets on the eve of the country National Day, also denounced the PM over an unpopular new good and services tax, and demanded reform of an electoral system they claim favors the powerful ruling party, the United Malays National Organization , which has controlled the multi-racial Southeast Asian nation through coalition governments since independence from Britain in 1957, according to Deutsche Welle. PM Najib denies any wrongdoing and has refused to heed the protesters' demands The PM, whose approval ratings have fallen sharply over the past year, has come under growing pressure in recent months over claims that $700 million were wired from the state-owned development company to his personal bank accounts. While police estimated the crowd size at 35,000, the organizers said more than 200,000 people came out in protest even after authorities blocked their website and banned yellow attire and the group logo. Najib, who set up the fund in 2009 that now faces debts totaling some $11 billion, serves as head of 1MDB advisory board. And while Malaysia anti-corruption agency recently confirmed that the controversial transfers had taken place, it said they had come from an unspecific source in the Middle East, and not 1MDB. But the statements have not succeeded in silencing the PM critics, with many analysts arguing that the weekend mass rally shows the extent of popular discontent with PM Najib. Growing discontent But Najib denies any wrongdoing and has refused to heed the protesters' demands, calling them "shallow-minded." A few weeks earlier he sacked his deputy and four other ministers in a cabinet reshuffle, and replaced the attorney general in what many view as a bid to stifle questions over the graft scandal. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.