Malay NGOs lodge report against Dong Jiao Zong

A group of Malay NGOs lodged a police report against Chinese educationist group Dong Jiao Zong today and urged the cops to prevent their upcoming congress from taking place.

About 200 people converged outside the Kajang district police headquarters as early as 9am to represent and support their respective NGOs.

Perkid Kebajikan Darul Islah Malaysia chief Masridzi Sat, in his report, said the gathering on Saturday will cause an uproar from the Malays.

"We urge the police to investigate and stop the gathering on Dec 28 as it would cause an uproar from the Malays which would lead to racial unrest like what had happened on May 13, 1969," he said in the report.

Masridzi also urged the Home Ministry to ban Dong Jiao Zong, saying "the association organises an activity which could have seditious elements, anti-Malay, anti-Islam, disrupting the peace and the social contract".

Muafakat secretary-general Mahmud Hishammuddin claimed that more than 40 NGOs were present today to file a report.

Yesterday, Dong Zong had clarified that the Dec 28 congress was not a protest but an indoor event to discuss the implementation of Jawi script lessons in vernacular school.

Dong Zong Central committee member Low Chee Chong stressed that there were no plans for a rally and the meeting would only be open to representatives from Chinese NGOs.

"This is a meeting that will discuss education topics and the Jawi script issue. The meeting (is called) to express the stance (of Chinese NGOs), and it is not a racial gathering," he said.

Last week, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had warned against the event, fearing that Malay groups will react in a "very Malay way" if such a congress was organised.

"(If) they wanted to do something that is very Chinese, the Malays’ response will be very Malay, (including) asking Chinese schools to be closed. You do that kind of thing (Chinese congress) and you will get a reaction," said the prime minister.

"We are (living in a) multiracial country, it is important for us to be considerate about other people's feelings." 

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, urged the parties to cancel the congress and return to dialogues instead.

Earlier today, de facto Religious Affairs Minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa called on the organisers to postpone their plan for the congress to allow room for dialogue and find a mutual agreement.

"This (postponement) is to allow room for dialogue and find a mutual agreement.

"All of us must shoulder the responsibility to come up with an agreement for the interest of the nation," Mujahid said in a statement. - Mkini