KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) ? Malaysia's government imposed a massive lockdown on the capital as thousands of protesters demanding electoral reforms were expected to defy a police ban and hold a rally.
Police sealed off the major arteries into Kuala Lumpur overnight with barricades, creating huge traffic jams as they checked every vehicle for protesters attempting to sneak into the city ahead of the rally.
Police have declared the rally illegal, saying it could cause chaos, and have already arrested some 230 people, including six under a strict security law that allows for detention without trial.
By early Saturday, the city's main shopping and commercial district surrounding the landmark 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers was deserted, with several shops closed and people forced to walk.
Public transport plying city routes was diverted, while long-distance buses were halted at terminals outside Kuala Lumpur.
Fears of violence have been highlighted because of plans by pro-government groups to hold a counter-rally.
Hundreds of policemen, many armed with batons and anti-riot gear and backed by water cannon, have been deployed in strategic locations around the capital including near the national mosque in a bid to thwart the gatherings.
"The police will take whatever action within their power to guarantee that safety and public security is maintained in this country," federal police chief Ismail Omar warned late Friday.
The past two weeks, police have been arresting individuals caught in possession of yellow T-shirts, the protesters' colour.
But rally organisers have said they will not back down and would gather outside the iconic Merdeka Stadium in downtown Kuala Lumpur at around 0600 GMT in the hope police would allow them to enter the stadium to preserve safety.
The protest is spearheaded by Bersih, a broad but loose coalition of groups, including non-governmental organisations and opposition political parties.
They are calling for electoral reforms, including measures that will prevent voters from voting multiple times during elections.
The opposition made major gains in 2008 elections against the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition but said they could have won more if elections rules were fair.
In April, the opposition also scored key victories in by-elections in the ruling party's bastion of Sarawak on Borneo island.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has defended the tough police action to stop the rally and denied Malaysia was moving away from democratic practices.
"Yes, we will continue to aim to gather at Merdeka Stadium at 2pm," said Andrew Khoo, a member of the Bersih steering committee.
"We have no violent intent whatsoever," he said, adding that if there was no lockdown they would have expected 100,000 protesters or more.
The last rally in 2007 demanding electoral reforms organised by opposition parties gathered about 50,000 protesters.
"This is a gross over-reaction to what is essentially a peaceful assembly of Malaysians to campaign for electoral reforms. The government has demonised the campaign," Khoo told AFP on Saturday.
Malaysia's next elections are widely expected to be called early next year, with the opposition aiming to end Barisan Nasional's half a century rule and the ruling party also hoping to recover from its losses.
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