Over 30,000 people crowded an open space near the Puteri Wangsa PKR branch near Ulu Tiram last night for Pakatan Rakyat's fifth Black 505 rally held in Johor Bahru.

johor black rally 160513 anwar After mega rallies in Petaling Jaya , Penang , Ipoh and Kuantan , the rally, which was subjected to a late venue change in response   to police objection, drew in a mostly young crowd who made clear their displeasure at the 13th general election result.

The crowd, undeterred by the drizzle, comprised Johoreans from all races who seemed eager to see a change in the federal government.

Organisers said that some 100 police personnel had been on standby throughout the night, but did not interfere in the four-hour rally.

Electoral reform

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who put in an appearance at about 10pm just before the conclusion of  the rally, said that he was not stepping down or retiring because he had the majority support from the rakyat.

"Where is a country in this world where a leader gets 47 percent of the popular vote and rules the country?

johor black rally 160513 2 “I am not stepping down because I got 51 percent of the popular vote and was denied a win because of fraud," he said to the enthusiastic crowd.

Organisers had later put the crowd estimate at about 60,000 people.

Johor DAP youth leader and Mengkibol assemblyperson Tan Hong Pin, meanwhile, urged the crowd to  chew over what role they can play in the process of electoral reform.

"I urged the supporters to not give up as the mission ahead of us is much bigger," he said when contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday.

Some cars of rally participants were reportedly vandalised. Newly-minted Kulai parliamentarian Teo Nie Ching said in a Facebook posting:

"I was back to home safely from the 505 blackout rally. But cars of some attendees were sprayed with acid, one of them is my DAP member in Kulai who parked his car 1km away from the venue."