BETWEEN 80 and 100 people gathered in Dataran Merdeka to protest against the political manoeuvring that took place over the weekend, leading to the government’s collapse.

The crowd, which included university students, gathered at 8.30pm and then dispersed 90 minutes later.

In that time, some of protesters gave speeches urging people to condemn any move to form a “back-door” government.

Several people held up signs carrying the slogans: “No back-door government” and “Reforms please, not soap opera”.

Protesters said no one had formally organised tonight’s demonstration, but someone had created an e-poster of the event, which was spread through WhatsApp.

The peaceful protest follows weekend plotting by Umno, PAS, a splinter faction of PKR under Mohamed Azmin Ali, and Bersatu, which has left the Pakatan Harapan coalition, to prevent PKR president Anwar Ibrahim from taking over from Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister before the next election.

The move led to Dr Mahathir resigning as prime minister over the weekend and then as Bersatu chairman on Monday.

Today, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah held individual interviews with 90 MPs as part of the process to form a new government.

The remaining 132 MPs will have their audience with the king tomorrow. – February 25, 2020.