KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — Just a few kilometres away from unrest by #Merah169 protesters in Bukit Bintang, a group of Malaysians gathered here in the city centre for a Malaysia Day picnic to celebrate the country’s diversity.

Prominent activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, who organised the picnic together with the Malaysians for Malaysia movement, said that the event was to reclaim the meaning behind the day marking the country’s formation.

“Malaysia Day is about the coming together of all sorts of different people, people from Peninsular, people from Sabah and Sarawak, we came together 52 years ago to become Malaysia and that’s what we should be celebrating.

“I think every celebration of Malaysia Day should comprise the whole diversity that makes Malaysia beautiful,” the daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told reporters here at the KLCC Park.

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir (in yellow) and other participants hold a cake, placard and the Malaysian flag to commemorate Malaysia Day at a picnic to celebrate the event, September 16, 2015. — Pictures by Grace Lim

Over 20 people from diverse and multicultural backgrounds turned up for the potluck-style “Happy Birthday Picnic for Malaysia” at the grassy park here, sharing food and conversation amid balloons in the four colours of the Malaysian flag.

Clement Chin, 55, drove here all the way from Kuantan for the Malaysia Day picnic, but admitted to feeling unease when passing through some rowdy rally participants at Jalan Imbi.

“But it’s very unfortunate, doing it on a happy occasion, particularly when this is a day when we should come together, not a day we want to divide,” the area manager of a multi-national company said of the “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” rally that has since been called #Merah169.

Chin told Malay Mail Online that he believed the picnic is a “good cause because we want a peaceful Malaysia, we want Malaysians to accept each other, a plural society”.

Malaysians for Malaysia’s Azrul Mohd Khalib similarly said the picnic showed a better picture of the country rather than the “ugly” messages from the rally.

“What we wanted to have was rather than images of people, red-faced, screaming and shouting words of hatred, prejudice and racism, we wanted there to be these kind, soft images, we see Malaysians having food, eating together, because that’s a better image for Malaysians,” he said.

“When we talk about the establishment of Malaysia, it was really for the intent that we live together, there is no one race that dominates and that’s not the way Tunku Abdul Rahman imagined it and that certainly wasn’t that way that we Malaysians here today actually want it to be,” he added, referring to the country’s first prime minister.

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and other participants hold a cake, placard and the Malaysian flag to commemorate Malaysia Day at a picnic to celebrate the event, September 16, 2015.

The group sang a birthday song to celebrate Malaysia’s 52th year in existence, holding up various placards including a quote from Tunku Abdul Rahman telling Malaysians to remember that their unity is both their strength and the nation’s strength.

Maizawani Shaari, 36, an interior designer from Cheras, said she just wanted to celebrate Malaysia Day with others who appreciate the significance of the day.

“For me, it’s a day of birth for Malaysia, which is the birth of a country with different cultures, different races and it’s supposed to be about unity,” she told Malay Mail Online, adding that it is the right of all to assemble but that she did not favour the red shirt rally which appeared to be focused on one race.

Her sister Mas, 42, said: “I think it’s good in light of the current scenario. It’s good to show we are Malaysians getting together with our fellow Malaysians.”

Conrad Rozario, 51, said the picnic shows that Malaysians can come together to make a difference in small ways and to be a witness to the nation’s founding values that were being eroded by events such as today’s red shirt rally.

“This is a country where everybody is inclusive, nobody gets left behind, everybody’s opinion matters whether it is right or wrong, everyone’s race or religion or culture or subculture forms the Malaysian flag,” the Malaccan who had come together with his wife Caroline Chua told Malay Mail Online. 

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and other participants hold balloons to commemorate Malaysia Day at a picnic to celebrate the event, September 16, 2015. — Picture by Ida Lim