Dr M: The young take independence for granted

The recent unruly behaviour of participants at the 'Janji Demokrasi' rally at Dataran Merdeka on the eve of Merdeka Day was mainly because they have taken independence and freedom of expression for granted, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the participants were mainly teenagers and young professionals who had not experienced how it felt to be under foreign rule.

"Most of them are under 55 years old. They never knew what it was like under foreign rule. So they take Merdeka for granted.

"They do not know how to appreciate because they have been thinking that we are always free," he told reporters after attending DRB-Hicom's Hari Raya Open House, here today.

During the gathering, some participants were involved in shameful acts like stepping on the pictures of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and several other dignitaries.

A 19-year-old private college student had pulled down his pants and showed his buttocks to pictures of the prime minister and his wife.

- Bernama