Ethnic Malay group to hold rally against Chinese demands
Ethnic Malay group to hold rally against Chinese demands
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): An influential ethnic Malay student movement renewed threats on Wednesday to hold a massive protest against an ethnic Chinese group that has demanded an end to affirmative action policies that benefit Malays.
The Federation of Peninsular Malay Students' stance amounts to spurning calls by government leaders for both parties to end their spat, which the country's leadership fears could aggravate racial animosity and tensions.
The student movement said its protest would be held any time after Jan. 14 if the Chinese group did not withdraw demands that the government repeal special privileges accorded to Malays, who form the majority of the country's population.
The privileges, ranging from cheaper bank loans, government contracts, reserved access to universities and government jobs, have been in effect for three decades and are aimed at raising the economic clout of the Malays, who were traditionally poor.
Such privileges have caused deep resentment among the large Chinese and Indian communities.
Malays account for 55 percent of Malaysia's 23 million people while ethnic Chinese and Indians account for 30 percent and 10 percent respectively.
The Chinese group, which claims to represent 2,000 associations, said late on Tuesday that it does not intend to withdraw its requests, which say that the current system does not reward individuals based on merit.
The Malaysian Chinese Election Appeals Committee, or Suqiu in Mandarin, had asked the government -- which is led by ethnic Malays and depends on their support -- to give equal treatment for all races, curbs on corrupt practices and more government transparency.
"The Suqiu Committee is always prepared to discuss and have a dialog as we believe this is how different sectors and parties in a modern society should engage as well as the right way to react to reach consensus," Suqiu said in a statement.
The statement followed a call by Hishammuddin Hussein, chief of the youth wing of Mahathir's political party the United Malays National Organization, to hold talks with the Chinese group.
"I welcome Siqiu's seriousness in wanting to meet me, and I hope to be able to meet them after Hari Raya (Idul Fitri)," the national Bernama news agency quoted Hishammuddin, who is also the cabinet Minister for Youth and Sports, as saying.
"Their demands reek of extremism," Suhaimi Ibrahim, leader of the student group, told reporters. "We ask all Malays to unite and join us in our protest."
He claimed at least 100,000 Malays would participate in the protest, which would be held in an open stadium in Kuala Lumpur. Suhaimi said his movement would present a list of 100 demands to the government urging more Malay rights, including that the prime minister's post -- which has always been held by a Malay -- be reserved for Malays.
Government leaders, including Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, have repeatedly said the demands made by Suqiu threat the delicate balance of racial harmony between the majority Muslim Malays and the smaller ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
Mahathir has said the government would defend the special privileges accorded to Malays. Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin has said Malays needed protection from the government because they still lagged behind other races in terms of education and economic power.
The affirmative-action policies have forestalled any renewal of the race rioting in 1969 that caused hundreds of deaths, and Mahathir says that tampering with the system could trigger new violence.