KUALA LUMPUR: Stop targeting the Chinese or risk further aggravation of the already tense racial relations in the country, says Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The MCA president said the Sept 16 red shirt rally which saw participants barging into Petaling Street or Chinatown here, carrying banners calling for the closure of Chinese primary schools and addressing the Chinese as Cina babi, was not a peaceful assembly, but one that undermined racial relations and unity in the country.
“We (MCA) are not happy. Acts targeting the Chinese must be stopped.
“It is obvious that the rally goers intended to stoke fear and create racial tension.
“Their words and actions are meant to intimidate and tantamount to a criminal threat on the vendors of Petaling Street in general and the Chinese community in particular,” Liow said after chairing an emergency meeting of the party's central committee – the party's highest decision-making body – at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
On Wednesday, the Sept 16 red shirt rally organiser Datuk Jamal Md Yunos who is Sungei Besar Umno chief, threatened another rally or possibly a riot in Petaling Street tomorrow if the authorities failed to meet the demands of the rally by today.
The demands include having the traders in Petaling Street share a portion of their income with other races and stop the monopoly of the area.
On Jamal’s threat, Liow said MCA wanted the police to nab him immediately.
While MCA respects Umno leaders, he said those who resorted to racist acts were unacceptable.
He said MCA was adamant that all mass rallies must be stopped.
“MCA urges our Prime Minister to put a stop to all further rallies.
“Mass rallies eventually lead to violent confrontations as extremists from both ends will be rooting for a fight by pushing one another to the edge.
“All this is not only putting a strain on unity but is also giving the nation a bad name internationally.”
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