‘Mall brawls’ signs of Malaysia’s fractious society, says Singapore paper

A notice at a Kota Raya handphone shop informing customers that the previous owner, accused of cheating customers, is no longer running the business. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, December 26, 2015.

The “mall brawls” at the Kota Raya shopping complex and Low Yat Plaza are signs of Malaysia’s fractious society, said The Straits Times today.

Activists were fuelling communal tensions by turning fights over handphones and claims of cheating into race issues, the Singapore newspaper said in an editorial.

In July, clashes broke out outside Low Yat Plaza after a youth was arrested for allegedly stealing a mobile phone. His friends and supporters from a Malay rights group turned up the next day to “seek justice”.

On Sunday, Kota Raya closed its shutters early after two people were injured following a brawl between about 20 men armed with sticks and parang, and the employee of a mobile phone shop.

In both cases, the handphone shops were allegedly Chinese owned while their customers were Malays.

“The matter is made worse by activists turning disputes over cellphones into a race issue, and fuelled by the authorities’ lack of action and seemingly slow intervention from top politicians,” the paper said, singling out remarks by “red shirt” rally leader Mohd Ali Baharom, better known as Ali Tinju, who urged Malays to boycott Kota Raya to “teach them (traders) a lesson” about cheating their customers.

Ali Tinju was also charged with sedition after delivering a racially charged speech in July outside Low Yat Plaza but that was dropped a day after the “red shirt” rally on September 16.

After the Low Yat Plaza incident, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob proposed a digital mall with “100% Malay traders”. The Mara Digital Mall opened for business on December 8.

“The fractious society was partly caused by a government plan to grow a Malay middle class following race riots in 1969. The Bumiputera policy of promoting Malay rights grew the pool of educated Malays and Malay businessmen. But analysts say the policy also created a culture of entitlement among some Malays,” the Straits Times editorial said.

Citing analysts, it said Umno leaders were keeping mum because racial politics distracted people from the political troubles at the top, referring to internal turmoil in the lead party in Barisan Nasional.

In July, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dropped Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal from the Cabinet over their criticism of his handling of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd debacle and refusal to disclose the donors of the RM2.6 billion deposited into the prime minister’s bank accounts.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has also criticised Najib’s handling of the two issues.

- TMI