SEPT 16 is a public holiday to commemorate Malaysia Day. It was on this day that a new country was born. Next week’s Sept 16 will be marked by a rally organised by a Malay non-governmental organisation whose leader is linked to Umno.
There is a big debate on whether the rally should take place or not. Details of the rally keep changing. We now hear that the demo is to be organised by Pesaka, the apex association of silat groups in the country.
Pesaka is headed by a senior member of Umno. Umno has denied involvement in the rally. But the party stopped short of telling its members not to attend.
Will the rally be held in Bukit Bintang or Petaling Street? Someone said the venue has now been changed to Putrajaya. Is that so? And we now hear that non-Malays have also been invited to join!
This whole thing smack of one-upmanship between opposing groups. If it is held, expect to see busloads of participants carrying banners converging at whichever venue eventually picked.
This rally is not meant to be a fun event. It’s not a muhibbah rally. It’s a simple show of force.
Its legality, too, has not been decided. If the yellow T-shirt rally was deemed illegal, will the red T-shirt rally be similarly declared? If so, will two wrongs make a right?
The writer is chairman of Yayasan Salam Malaysia