Khairy backs action against Red Shirt law-breakers

Umno Youth leader agrees that racial provocation must be stopped.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin has voiced his support for action to be taken against anyone who broke the law when attending the Red Shirt rally last week.

“We are not stopping them from being involved in any demonstration or activities. But what is important is that if some of them were found to have broken the law, then action must be taken,” he was quoted as saying today.

Demonstrators attending the Perhimpunan Rakyat Bersatu on Sept 16 chanted racial taunts and harassed journalists while marching through central Kuala Lumpur and attempted to force their way into Petaling Street, prompting the use of water cannon by riot police.

Khairy said it was up to the police to investigate the Petaling Street incident.

However, he agreed that racial provocations should be stopped. “We don’t want there to be racial tensions,” he said, according to Malaysiakini.

Despite reports of racial taunting and racially-tinged speeches at Padang Merbok, rally organiser Pesaka, the national silat federation, was praised by Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday. He said the rally proved that Malay people were peaceful law-abiding citizens.