KUALA LUMPUR — A day after a massive pro-government rally with strong racial overtones paralysed parts of downtown Kuala Lumpur, many Malaysians yesterday were left reflecting on the latent ethnic divisions that threaten the foundations of their national unity.

Chinese-Malay relations in the federation remain shaky as anti-Chinese sentiment grows, analysts have noted after Wednesday’s “red shirt” rally, which saw the Chinese being called “babi” (pigs) and told to “balik Cina” (go back to China).

The insults were hurled by Malay protesters against Chinese journalists at the government-sanctioned demonstration on Malaysia Day that saw placards with slogans such as “Malaysia belongs to the Malays”, “Defend Malay rights”, and “Get rid of SJKC”, referring to Chinese vernacular schools.

“While ethnic relations have always smouldered in Malaysia, they have worsened as perceptions have grown of Chinese ‘betrayal’ in GE13 (the general election in 2013), participation in Bersih 4.0 (anti-government rally), and other events,” said Professor William Case from the Department of Asian and International Studies at City University of Hong Kong.
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KUALA LUMPUR — Race relations in Malaysia remain shaky amid growing anti-Chinese sentiment, analysts have noted after yesterday’s (Sept 16) “red shirt” rally that saw the Chinese being called “babi” (pigs) and told to “balik Cina” (Go back to China).

The insults were hurled by Malay protesters against ethnic Chinese journalists at the government-sanctioned demonstration on Malaysia Day that saw placards with slogans like “Malaysia belongs to the Malays”, “Defend Malay rights”, and “Get rid of SJKC”, referring to Chinese vernacular schools.

“While ethnic relations have always smouldered in Malaysia, they have worsened as perceptions have grown of Chinese ‘betrayal’ in GE13, participation in Bersih 4.0, and other events,” Professor William Case from the Department of Asian and International Studies at City University of Hong Kong told Malay Mail Online.

The analyst said, however, that Malaysia can avoid a full-blown riot and killings like what had happened in Jakarta in 1998 as long as restraint prevailed, noting that UMNO deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin and Kelantan prince Razaleigh Hamzah both advised against yesterday’s pro-Malay demonstration.

Centre for Policy Initiatives chief Dr Lim Teck Ghee said the “red shirt” rally showed that the constant blame the races and the tone of racial discourse in the press and social media has had an impact.

“We can see this as a manifestation of ultra-nationalism with rationality and civil behaviour suspended while the emotions spill over or run wild, whipped up by politicians making political capital out of it,” Dr Lim told Malay Mail Online.

A female ethnic Chinese journalist was heckled and called “Cina gila babi (Crazy Chinese pig)” by the crowd at the “Red Shirt” rally while trying to interview protesters in Petaling Street before being chased away.

The police were also forced to extricate two male ethnic Chinese journalists who were similarly called “babi” from another rally gathering point when demonstrators became angry when asked to provide examples of Malays being insulted.

melissa goh ‏@melgoh 2h2 hours ago

Petty traders & hawkers at Petaling Street were advised by their association to close for 3 days @ChannelNewsAsia

ST Foreign Desk ‏@STForeignDesk 3h3 hours ago

Protesters have dispersed from clash scene in KL, police trucks have also exited area http://bit.ly/1ivbtWn 

Sumisha Naidu ‏@sumishanaidu 2h2 hours ago

3 police personnel were hurt when some red shirt protestors tried to push through Petaling Street barrier earlier

KUALA LUMPUR — Many among the thousands who painted the city’s streets red today (Sept 16) said they were there to defend the country against purported Chinese domination, with some expressing anger against the minority group for allegedly insulting their Malay-Muslim leaders and stealing their rights.

Although organisers of the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu rally previously said the event was not meant to be racially-tinged, some participants openly admitted their objectives were to fight for the rights they claimed were trampled on by the “big-headed” Chinese.

One attendee, Mr Muhamad Ridzuan Sulaiman, said the Malays now play too small a role in the economy, which he alleged is Chinese-controlled.

“For instance, if I wanted to open a shop next to a Chinese-owned shop, they would use black magic to curse my shop,” he told Malay Mail Online as rally participants began packing up to leave Padang Merbok this evening.

The 21-year-old said although he believed the rally was not expressly anti-Chinese, it was organised due to Malay frustration over certain actions by the country’s ethnic minorities.

“The other races are just waiting for the Malays to fall,” lamented the youth who expressed interest in joining Malay nationalist party UMNO.

The sentiment was echoed by another rally participant, 62-year-old Che Hassan from Pasir Puteh, Kelantan.

“We’re not exactly angry at the Chinese. But we’re so angry at the Democractic Action Party (DAP). They are insulting our Malay-Muslim leaders. They are messing around with the rights of the Malays, like what they did in Bersih 4. They insulted our leaders there, but here, we have done nothing. We didn’t stir up any issues like they did,” the man said.