KUALA LUMPUR: DAP’s Teresa Kok has questioned Prime Minister Najib Razak’s tacit support of the planned Red Shirts rally after his announcement yesterday that Umno would not impose any restrictions on its members who wanted to participate in it.
She said that by doing this, Najib’s motives were questionable and that he had given the wrong message to Malaysians.
“Peaceful assembly is part and parcel of a democracy. However, no one should abuse their democratic rights to plan a racial rally aimed at inciting racial tension, or one that can cause racial chaos,” said the MP for Seputeh.
“Was he not giving tacit endorsement to the rally?” she asked, arguing that as the leader behind the 1Malaysia concept, Najib should have stated his absolute rejection of the race-based rally and discouraged anyone from attending it instead.
Kok also attacked MCA president and Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai for his “baseless attacks” against DAP, namely his accusations that DAP had hijacked the Bersih 4 rally and had spread racial hatred.
“He even blamed DAP for the isolated incident at the rally where two participants stomped on a photograph of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang,” she said.
She added that Liow’s continued attacks against DAP and his tendency to put a racial spin on the Bersih 4 rally was driven by a political agenda i.e. to escalate hostile and racial feelings against DAP and Bersih.
“Why must he be so irresponsible to dance to the racist tune of the extremists?”