Electoral watchdog Bersih’s previous rally witnessed a racial slant due to the majority of participants being ethnic Chinese and the absence of a significant Malay presence.

After photographs depicting protesters stomping on images of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang emerged, a counter-rally was organised in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to defend Malay pride.

With Bersih poised to hold another rally, its chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said questions had been posed regarding the watchdog’s plans to mobilise the Malays and rural folks.

“Bersih is sure working hard on this but it's not just the Malays and the rural folks.

“It's every Malaysian who must be up in arms to do their part. So my question to everyone is - what's yours?" she wrote on Facebook.

“The issue is big and can't be just left to Bersih to handle it. GlobalBersih must be involved too.

“Everyone who loves this country has to play their part otherwise failure is ours,” she added.

During the previous rally, the absence of support from PAS was acknowledged as one of the main reasons for the lack of Malay participation.

PAS remains undecided on whether to back the upcoming rally, dubbed Bersih 5, which aims to push for action on the 1MDB imbroglio.

This time around, it is said Bersih’s ties with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had also irked certain civil society groups, and it remains unclear whether they would lend their support to the latest initiative.

Bersih has yet to announce the date and venue for the rally.

The rally comes in the wake of the United States Department of Justice’s court filings on the alleged abuse of 1MDB funds.