Pressure mounts on Malaysian PM as protests spill into second day

Hundreds slept out overnight in central Kuala Lumpur after the first day of a rally that has brought into the streets a political crisis triggered by reports of a mysterious transfer worth more than $600 million into an account under Najib's name.

Najib, who denies wrongdoing, has weathered the storm and analysts say the two-day rally is unlikely to inspire broad public support for him to quit because it lacks a strong leader.

Security remained tight and anti-riot trucks stood ready. The first day passed without reports of violence and the rally resumed in a festive mood on August 30 with group exercises, a mass at the city cathedral and interfaith prayers.

City authorities rejected an application by pro-democracy organization Bersih for a protest permit, raising fears of a repeat of a 2012 rally when police used water cannon and teargas to disperse protesters.

The government blocked access to Bersih's website and banned the wearing of its signature yellow T-shirts, although the crowd of protesters was a sea of yellow.

The protesters, whose numbers swelled into the tens of thousands on August 29, were thrilled when former leader Mahathir Mohamad made a surprise appearance.

Bersih said the open support from Mahathir, a deeply respected 90-year-old who was once Najib's patron and is now his fiercest critic, could add momentum to its movement.

"It's a boost for us that he recognizes that corruption is not good for the economy. It's a show of support for Bersih," said the group's leader, Maria Chin Abdullah.

Unlike the 2012 rally, this summer's protest lacks the support of a party identified with the Malay majority: most of the protesters on August 29 were from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

However, Mahathir was long a leader of the powerful United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which represents Malays.