Having originally planned to march through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Bersih decided to hold its rally at Merdeka Stadium after consultations with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Malaysia's head of state.

[11][12] Human rights group SUARAM also claim abuses by the ruling party such as gerrymandering constituencies, using public funds for projects to win political support, and the "unscrutinised" counting of postal ballots.

[25] The communiqué issued by Bersih issued in 2007 called for reforms to Malaysia's first-past-the-post electoral system, ensuring the independence of the Election Commission (EC), eliminating electoral practices deemed unfair to opposition candidates, eliminating corrupt campaign practices, equal access to the media for all political parties, and instituting a caretaker government during election periods, among others in the long term.

[34] The rally's original plan was to have protesters gather at the KL Sogo shopping center, Kuala Lumpur City Hall building, and the Kampung Baru Mosque before marching to the Istana Negara to deliver a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

[38] Simultaneous rallies in support of Bersih were planned by Malaysian citizens in more than 30 cities in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, the United States and Cambodia.

[47] During the gathering, images of Ambiga—described by flyers as "a dangerous Hindu woman"—were burned, while Ibrahim warned the Chinese community not to participate in the Bersih rally.

[9] On 19 June, Anwar reportedly told members of his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) that he would ask Ambiga to cancel the rally if the government met Bersih's demands.

[90] On 5 July, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced concern about the restriction of freedom of expression in Malaysia and urged the government to release detained Bersih activists.

[95] Malaysia's head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, issued a statement on 3 July urging moderation by all parties.

[17][107] Six members, including MP Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, remain held under the Emergency Ordinance 1969, which allows indefinite detention without trial.

[109] One day before the planned rally, police released a list of 91 individuals, including Ambiga, Khairy and Ibrahim, barred from entering Kuala Lumpur's central business district on 9 July.

[120] Opposition politicians detained include Abdul Hadi Awang, Mohamad Sabu, Salahuddin Ayub, Mahfuz Omar, Dzulkefly Ahmad, Azmin Ali, Tian Chua, Fuziah Salleh, Sivarasa Rasiah, and Ngeh Koo Ham.

[137] Further rallies were reported in central Hong Kong,[138] Taiwan,[139] Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States.

[151] A news website has alleged that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission instructed radio and television stations to omit coverage of police violence and focus on the damage done by rally participants.

[152] State news agency Bernama quoted several political analysts saying that the rally will tarnish Malaysia's image abroad and is a distraction from Anwar Ibrahim's ongoing sodomy trials.

[154] Utusan Malaysia, a newspaper owned by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a governing party, criticised the rally as "dirty" on a 12 June editorial.

In particular, it made reference to Anwar's sodomy trial and sex video allegations, calling him a hypocrite and urging Malaysians to protest against the opposition leader instead.

[157] They quoted pro-UMNO political analysts attacking Ambiga for "angering Muslims and Malays,"[158] as well as reported that foreign Christian organisations are funding the rally.

"[162] Johan Jaaffar, chairman of Media Prima (owned by UMNO), the parent company of the New Straits Times, wrote in the paper: "The government of the day is not perfect.

"[163] M Faqih, writing in the PAS organ Harakah Daily, compared the planned rally to the September 1998 protests in Kuala Lumpur against then-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's sacking and detention on sodomy and corruption charges, which he described as peaceful unlike the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

He called on the opposition to seize the initiative with public discontent over government policies and use the rally as a stepping stone to victory in next general election.

[164] Josh Hong of Malaysiakini questioned the law requiring protest organisers to obtain permits, saying the freedom of speech and right to assembly are guaranteed by the Constitution.

[169] Free Malaysia Today, another news website, argued in favour of the rally, saying that concerns that it will serve as a "spring offensive" to overthrow the government are exaggerated.

[170] In another editorial the day before the rally, FMT was highly critical of the government, asking the people to "decide the course of history" and defy a "harsh and repressive" state.

[171] In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, former US ambassador to Malaysia John R. Malott said Najib's UMNO is "running scared" of losing power and is waging a campaign of intimidation against Bersih.

[172] Professor Clive Kessler of the University of New South Wales in an interview with ABC Radio stated that the Agong's intervention was a rebuke to Umno and the government and an acknowledgement of Bersih’s legitimacy.

"[174] The Malaysian Insider's Debra Chong said Najib's administration "took a massive punch to its gut," as accounts of police personnel using tear gas and water cannons against unarmed civilians were reported by international media.

[180] Ibrahim Suffian, head of the Merdeka Center, an independent think tank, said the actions of Bersih and the government polarised Malaysians of opposite political opinions.

The Singapore Straits Times added that Malaysian society has been polarised by the country’s divisive politics as clearly demonstrated when thousands braved a security lockdown of Kuala Lumpur.

[199] UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin said Anwar's attempts to exert influence over the rally on 19 June was proof that Bersih was "compromised" by the opposition.