Stop playing racial game, Gerakan Youth tells Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (centre) says Malays have a right to defend their dignity, especially when their leaders are mocked. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 20, 2015.

Gerakan Youth has accused the prime minister of “playing a racial game”, after Datuk Seri Najib Razak justified the September 16 “red shirt” rally on the grounds that Malays were defending their dignity and the country’s leadership.

The wing’s deputy chief Andy Yong said Najib’s comments would stir more racial tension in the country.

“It’s obvious as the prime minister, he is playing a racial game. As a leader, you should not touch on this, you should be above racial politics.

“Unless he has concrete proof that the Chinese are trying to threaten Malay rights or dignity, he should not be making such comments,” he told The Malaysian Insider today.

Two nights ago, Najib had said the Malays had been patient despite several illegal rallies held previously which were seen as challenging the dignity of the Malays.

“But the Bersih 4 rally was considered the turning point when several participants went beyond the limit by stomping on the picture of national leaders and insulting the country’s leadership,” he had said at the National Silat Federation (Pesaka) Assembly 2015 at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

He further added: “Slapped once, we did not do anything. The second time... nothing... the third time... nothing... but the fourth time had crossed the limit. Malays also have rights.

“The Malays will stand up when their pride is scarred, when their leader is insulted, condemned and humiliated. It’s enough, do not repeat such vengeful acts.”

The 34-hour Bersih 4 rally late last month, aimed at institutional reforms and pressuring Najib to step down, had been racialised by some quarters as being attended by predominantly Chinese Malaysians.

Yong asked if Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s presence at the Bersih rally two days in a row was a sign that the former prime minister was out to threaten Malay dignity.

"No action whatsoever was taken against the former prime minister," he said.

The lawyer urged all parties to stop worrying about racial dominance or politics in order to gain or remain in power.

“We should be committed to the pursuit of a non-ethnic approach as the basis of our political struggle, be it in politics, economics, education and culture.

“We ought to move towards economic progress instead of worrying about racial dominance which very often politicised,” he said, adding that racial politics is now a "disease", and that matured and sensible Malaysians were sick of such political games.

- TMI