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Kuala Lumpur/Â AFP
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak warned on Thursday violence would not be tolerated at a major anti-government demonstration planned for the weekend.
Leading NGO and civil-society alliance Bersih called the rally in the capital to demand the scandal-tainted prime minister’s resignation.
Bersih has urged its supporters to converge on Kuala Lumpur in its signature yellow T-shirts on Saturday.
But the “Red Shirts”, a rightwing group aligned to Najib and his ruling United Malays National Organisation, has vowed to confront protesters.
Police have warned that tear gas and water cannons could be used.
“You cannot indulge in any kind of physical clash at all,” Najib said on Thursday, according to the official Bernama news agency.
“That’s not going to be good for us and that’s not the culture that we will want to be accepted as our way of life in Malaysia.”
Najib, who is currently visiting Japan, added: “If one side wants to protest and the side that wants to protect the government is compelled to come out … but I don’t want any physical clash.”