They said the rally not only united Malaysians from all walks of life but for the organisers, electoral reform group Bersih 2.0, the appearance of Dr Mahathir indicated his tacit support for the gathering.

Although the former prime minister had clearly stated that his only intention in showing up was to join Malaysians in pressuring Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step down, his presence nonetheless brought renewed vigour to the organisers and rally-goers.

The two-day gathering which ended last night, was not only to demand that Najib step down but also for institutional reforms. Analysts, however, cautioned against celebrating too early as they said that the presence of Najib’s supporter-turned-chief critic would not be enough to pressure the prime minister to quit.

… This was concurred by Dr Oh Ei Sun, who pointed out that Najib had surrounded himself with loyalists from within his party and despite Dr Mahathir urging his fellow party members to support a vote of no confidence against the prime minister, such concerted efforts are unlikely to materialise.

“Very unlikely, as he is no longer in a position to dole out political favours which is the sole determining factor in political loyalty in the Barisan Nasional (BN),” said the senior fellow with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in referring to the political patronage system.