KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — After demanding three things from the government at the protest, the People Against Corruption Secretariat said the movement is shifting its focus towards engaging constructively with the federal government in Putrajaya.
Its secretary Zaim Zulkifli said that the secretariat, which consists of more than 50 organisations, is open to discussion with the government.
“Moving forward, we will try to approach this issue more constructively. We have already made demands in the streets,” he told reporters after the event today.
“Now it’s time to take it to the next level, which is to the ‘palace’,” he said, referring to the ‘palace’ as a figure of speech for the federal government administration in Putrajaya.
Zaim said that the protest, which lasted about one and a half hours, was conducted in a peaceful manner.
“The gathering earlier didn’t face much resistance. The police, indeed, facilitated us,” he added.
In his speech, Zaim said the secretariat demanded three things from the government.
“We demand three things from those in Putrajaya, first, we demand the separation of the Attorney-General’s Chambers from the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Two, the government must ensure that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is free from political interference and lastly, they must introduce the political funding act faster,” Zaim said.
Notable organisations and activists that joined the protest include Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) and graphic artist Fahmi Reza.

Protesters dressed in black began gathering outside Sogo KL Shopping Mall at around 2.30pm, only to encounter barricades and red tape cordoning off the main entrance.
A signboard placed at the site read, “Prohibited to sit/gather and carry out any activities in this area.”
A Sogo spokesperson explained that the barricade was intended to protect customers from potential inconvenience caused by the crowd.
Despite the restrictions, rally participants entered the barricaded area to start the event.
For the next 10 minutes, the group chanted slogans such as “bangkit, bangkit” (rise, rise), “lawan tetap lawan” (fight, keep fighting), and “lawan sampai menang” (right until victory) to the rhythm of drumbeats while holding placards condemning corruption in politics.
The march then proceeded toward Dataran Merdeka, with approximately 200 protesters breaching the closed-off square by removing its barricades.
A heavy police presence was observed throughout the rally, with officers seen managing the traffic during the event.