Dr M accuses Najib of encouraging Malay violence post-#Merah169

(Malay Mail Online) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of instigating the red shirts into taking up arms against the non-Malays when the latter appeared to defend organisers of #Merah169 in a speech after the rally.

Dr Mahathir claimed that it was Najib’s tacit support for #Merah169 that had given further inspiration to the red shirts who had previously called for action against the Chinese traders of Petaling Street.

“I saw this TV report by the CNA (Channel News Asia) and I heard Datuk Seri Najib giving a speech.

“He was urging them to be violent, to show Malays can be equally violent and I think they took the cue from there that they should be violent towards the so called Chinese,” Dr Mahathir told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the Human Life Advancement Foundation (HLAW) event at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).

The country’s longest serving former prime minister then repeated the accusation that it had been Putrajaya that had painted Bersih 4 as an all-Chinese and racially-charged protest aimed at overthrowing the government, a notion he rubbished as untrue.

“They made it a racial issue and then they urged the Malays to demonstrate,” he said.

On September 18, two days after #Merah169, Najib reportedly said that the rally dubbed “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” was a manifestation of the rise of Malays to defend their dignity and the country’s leadership from being condemned and humiliated.

He said even though several illegal rallies had been held before this to challenge the dignity of the Malays, they were patient.

“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,” he said at the National Silat Federation (Pesaka) Silat Assembly 2015 at Dataran Merdeka.

During the September 16 gathering, police had fired water cannons at protesters attempting to breach a barricade outside Petaling Street or Chinatown

After the rally, #Merah169 spokesman Datuk Jamal Md Yunos revealed that another gathering was to take place at Chinatown and that a riot may happen if the authorities do not punish traders there for allegedly selling counterfeits.

The rally, which was to be held last Saturday, was eventually cancelled.