Don’t let rallies turn Malaysia into Syria or Iraq, says ex-Thai foreign minister
Former Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya today implored Malaysia not to turn rallies into something racial, days after the “red shirt” rally saw thousands of Malays take to the streets to defend their honour. Kasit told a conference on liberalism, organised by think-tank IDEAS, that racial rallies would only lead the country down the path of war-torn countries, such as Syria and Iraq. “Don’t turn the rallies into an ethnic question. That would be dangerous. We’ve seen this in Iraq, in Syria. Please, I beg all of you my dear Malaysian friends,” Kasit said in the keynote address. He urged the leadership to govern responsibly and practise “politics of compromise”. “That’s very important. If anything happens to Malaysia that would be the end of the Asean community.” Kasit’s message today comes just after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib last night reportedly defended the “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” as a manifestation of Malays defending their dignity. Najib said Malays had been “slapped” multiple times and that the community would rise up when their pride was scarred and their leaders humiliated. The “red shirt” rally was organised to counter the Bersih 4 protest last month, where thousands of yellow-clad Malaysians gathered near Dataran Merdeka to demand Najib’s resignation. Kasit, who served as the Thai foreign minister from 2008 to 2011, said today that he was familiar with the conflict between “red shirts and the yellow shirts” in his own country. But he said that he did not want Malaysia, which he described as his second home, to be preoccupied with ethnic strife. He said Malaysia was already “too bogged down” by domestic issues, adding that it would have a ripple effect on the entire Asean community. Wednesday’s rally saw racially charged remarks and placards, with tense moments when participants were upset over questions posed by some journalists. Riot police were also forced to use water cannon to stop rowdy protesters from entering Petaling Street. – September 19, 2015.
