(Sept 18): Putrajaya should set up a National Goodwill Committee to heal Malaysia’s ethnic relations, following Wednesday’s racially divisive “red shirt” rally?, said Lim Kit Siang.

The DAP parliamentary leader proposed that former Umno minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz lead such a committee?, as she had personally called for Putrajaya to end racial politics.

“I would urge the prime minister and the Cabinet in their meeting next Wednesday to set up such a National Goodwill Committee with Rafidah Aziz as the chairman, involving the participation of all patriotic Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or politics, to take the nation back from the brink of the precipice which was the direction the ‘red shirt’ rally of September16 wanted the nation to be heading,” said Lim last night at a function in Sabah.

He said the committee’s function would be similar to the one formed after the May 13, 1969 racial riots.

It would restore racial harmony and social peace in the country, and Malaysia’s international image must be the top priority, said the veteran lawmaker.

"Malaysians must be brave and realistic to acknowledge that the September 16 'red shirts' Malay rally marked the plunge of Malaysian race relations to the lowest point in the past 46 years since the May 13 riots of 1969, and that it had given Malaysia the worst possible international image as if Malaysia has taken over Indonesia as a country with 'anti-Chinese demonstrations'."

Lim added that the rally was only a ploy by "desperate and bankrupt politicians" to create the image that Malaysia was rife with inter-ethnic conflict, so as to give them an excuse to maintain racial politics.

But he said the diversity of the crowd at the Bersih 4 rally proved Malaysia had not descended into such a state.

He warned that racial politics would only lead to a failed state and a "basket-case in international society".

"Malaysian leaders, regardless of race, religion, region or politics must come together in a patriotic endeavour to heal the wounds to racial harmony and social peace and repair our international image as a model of a successful multi-racial nation which is a safe and steady haven for foreign investment caused by the 'red shirt' Malay rally of September 16."

Wednesday’s “red shirt” rally or “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” organised by a coalition of Malay groups, was held to counter last month’s Bersih 4 rally, which they claimed had insulted the Malay race.

The rally saw racially-charged remarks and placards, with tense moments when participants were upset over questions posed by some journalists. Riot police were also forced to use water cannons to stop rowdy protesters from entering Petaling Street. – The Malaysian Insider