SUNGAI PETANI: A coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGO) has urged Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P Waytha Moorthy to issue an open apology to the Muslim community or a gathering will be held in Putrajaya.
Skuad Badar founder Azhar Mohamad, representing the coalition, said they are giving the minister a week to apologise.
"We ask Waytha Moorthy to retract his lies, in which he claimed that Malaysians were cruel towards the Indian community and demolished their temples.
"This is a lie. Take it back.. if he refuses to do so, we will mobilise NGOs in the whole of Malaysia to gather in Putrajaya to urge for a retraction and an apology from him to the Muslim community. We give him a week," he said at a press conference, here, today.
Other NGOs present were Kedah Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), Pertubuhan Si'rah Malaysia and Persatuan Putra Melayu Kedah.
Azhar said Waytha Moorthy's statement was a blatant lie because citizens of Malaysia live in peace despite a multitude of race and religion.
"We are not cruel towards any race, in fact we are fair to all. We do not demolish temples as claimed.
"He has tarnished Malaysia's name overseas," Azhar added.
At the same press conference, the coalition of NGOs also expressed their disagreement against Malaysia acceding to the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
"We do not want ICERD to be signed. It will bring harm if it is signed.
"We do not want ICERD at all, we ask that it be made to disappear altogether."