KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — PKR’s Rafizi Ramli urged the authorities today to give greater priority to resolve the fracas at Low Yat Plaza that he claims is testing Malaysia’s fragile racial ties even as the nation is reeling from allegations of financial impropriety over state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

The federal opposition lawmaker told a news conference at the gadget mall that the quarrel over a handphone that broke out at a shop there yesterday had the potential to turn explosive even quicker than the discontent simmering over 1MDB’s finances.

“The priority to defuse this now is even bigger than 1MDB.

“Because for 1MDB, the prime minister simply has to answer. Race relations is very delicate, we should not allow a single room for people to manipulate,” he said.

Rafizi has been among the most vocal critics against the 1MDB issue that has been also linked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as a beneficiary of some US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) said to have flowed out of the state investment fund’s accounts.

Reports over the cause of the unrest at Low Yat Plaza have been contradictory and have since gained a racial tinge despite the police insisting that the clashes were not caused by colour.

One version claimed the brawl was triggered by a foiled shoplifting attempt, while another purported the incident to be due to a youth’s unhappiness over being sold a counterfeit mobile phone.

The incident led to a mob descending on the mall on Saturday where they assaulted shop workers and caused RM70,000 in damage.

In a news conference today, city police confirmed 18 people have been arrested over the weekend in relation to the incident.