Bersih chairwoman Maria Chin Abdullah (seated, second from left), appears at a news conference on Thursday to announce details of Saturday's planned rally against Prime Minister Najib Razak. (EPA Photo)KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police arrested the head of the pro-democracy group Bersih on Friday, widening a crackdown on government critics a day before a rally calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down. Bersih chairwoman Maria Chin Abdullah and secretariat member Mandeep Singh were arrested shortly after the group's offices were raided on Friday. City police said they were arrested for offences under the Penal Code related to rioting. Human Rights Society chairwoman Ambiga Sreenevasan, Bersih's former chief, said in a text message that the demonstrations would go on despite the arrests.

Source: Bangkok Post November 18, 2016 11:52 UTC