(Sept 2): Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan today has likened the recently-concluded Bersih 4 rally to a "mini" Arab Spring, pointing out that the purpose of the assembly was to ask the prime minister to step down.

The Minister at the Prime Minister's Department said this, in answering questions on Putrajaya's perspective of the “yellow shirt” rally that was held in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend ahead of the National Day celebration.

He in attending the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference, which began in Putrajaya today. The conference ends on Friday.

“In the yellow shirt rally (Bersih 4), what is the purpose of the assembly? If you want to have an assembly against corruption, no problem. Injustice, should not be a problem too.

"But the purpose was to have the prime minister to resign ... and they (the organisers) want a caretaker PM and caretaker government... and within a year, they want a new election.

“So, it is not longer about corruption but a 'mini" Arab Spring. So when it comes to this, of course the government did not allow it to go on,” Low said.

However, he praised the participants for "behaving" during the 34-hour rally.

The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across the Middle East and North Africa in late 2010.

Low explained that the government had allowed the people to assemble but the purpose may be questioned.

“So you don't undermine the parliamentary demoracy practised in Malaysia,” said Low.

However, Low said credit should be given where it is due, saying that both the police and rally goers were able to ensure that the assembly went on without any untoward incidents.

“Police have done an extremely good job in protecting the citizens. They did not use force and the crowd was also well behaved.

"This is something like a milesstone for Malaysia. But again, you have to ask yourself what is the purpose having such assembly,” said Low.

He said that nowadays, there was a growing trend where the people were more concerned about other issues over their own basic needs.

He added this was because the nation's prosperity has allowed Malaysians to do so.

“Because of our prosperity, I believe that society itself became more concern about other issues besides their basic needs.

“Do I have the right to assemble, to have social justice, so on and so forth, instead of asking whether there is enough food on the table,” said Low.

He added that because of the rapid change occuring and perception issues, the government was unable to adapt accordingly.

“It is also because of the influence of the social media in highlighting the news and happenings in the country.

"Some were true, some were half truth, and some were entirely untrue. These later formed perception,” said Low.

Bersih 4, according to the organiser, was considered a success where hundreds of thousands participants flooded the Kuala Lumpur roads with a sea of people in yellow shirts despite being delared as illegal by the authorities. – The Malaysian Insider