Red Shirts rally: What Malays should fear

Malaysia turns 52 on September 16. Amid the celebrations to mark Malaysia Day, a gathering will be held at Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur, under the banner of Malay unity.

Many things have been said about the muted response of Malays to the recent Bersih 4 rally, and now just over two weeks later, we have Perhimpunan Rakyat Bersatu.

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I personally have no issue with this rally, just as I had no problem with Bersih 4 being held late last month. And in the eyes of the law, there is no issue with Perhimpunan Rakyat Bersatu taking place as the organizers have already secured the necessary permissions.

What concerns me though is some of the rhetoric being put forth by certain quarters in the run-up to this Sept 16 rally, where they blame other races for the socio-economic standing of Malays today. Purporting that a certain race has an agenda to keep Malay-Muslims in this country down is downright seditious. At times like this, I feel it is crucial that we are able to tell apart Malays who really want to advance the cause of other Malays, versus Malays who manipulate Malay sentiment for their own benefit.

I am not anti-Malay.

In fact, I am proud to be a Malay. If I should be blessed with children one day, I would opt for classic Malay names for them, like “Tuah” or “Melati” instead of an Arabic name.

I also prefer wearing Baju Melayu on Hari Raya instead of a robe or ‘ihram’ (though I have no issue for those who prefer the latter).

But none of this means that I wish to perpetually be made a fool of.

On the bright side, I’m glad there are many agencies which legitimately work to advance the lot of Malays without playing up any sentiment. One of them is Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu Bersatu Berhad (MTEM). These guys really do seem to be working towards bridging the socio-economic gap that remains a vital factor in strengthening national unity.

To all Malays who plan to participate in the rally at Padang Merbok, I say to you, be my guest. It is, after all, your right as a citizen of this democracy, and even the police have given their assurance that everything should be A-OK.

So there really is nothing to fear, right?

Maybe.

But the next time someone brings up that old time favourite about Malays being manipulated, just ask yourself, are you one them too?

*Views expressed here are personally of the author's and does not necessarily reflect Astro AWANI's.