KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 ― Malaysia Day has turned into a day of “shame” with racist, anti-Chinese messages at the “Red Shirt” rally here, Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali said today.

Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president, expressed “shame and disgust” at seeing Malay protesters at the demonstration in the city centre here yesterday, who were clad in red shirts, chant racist slogans and express contempt and hatred against other ethnic groups, especially the Chinese.

“Is this Umno’s best idea of restoring Malay dignity? Busing in thousands of Felda settlers and party members from the states and setting them loose like an angry mob out to lynch others?” Azmin said in a strongly-worded statement.

“Is this Umno’s best idea of shoring up support for the prime minister? Whipping up anti-Chinese, anti-DAP sentiment and engaging in acts of provocation like marching to Low Yat and Petaling Street?

Is this Umno’s definition of ‘Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu’ where only Malays belonging to one political party and members from right-wing groups congregate with no positive agenda or purpose except to vilify the Chinese community and their leaders and to shout at the top of their voices how great Malays are supposed to be?” he added.

The government-sanctioned demonstration in the city centre here yesterday, which turned rowdy at Petaling Street when police were forced to briefly deploy water cannons against protesters who refused to disperse, saw thousands of Malays marching for their “dignity”.

Racist slurs like “Cina babi” [Chinese pig] and “Balik Cina” [Go back to China] were thrown against ethnic Chinese journalists. The rally also saw placards with racially-tinged slogans like “Malaysia belongs to the Malays”, “Defend Malay rights”, and “Get rid of SJKC”, referring to Chinese vernacular schools.

Azmin said today that claims that the racist rally was endorsed by Islam have brought “great dishonour” to Islam and Malay dignity.

“The leaders responsible for this day of infamy are now forever tainted with having violated the unwritten code of conduct as a nation ― to treat all the communities with honour, dignity and respect. They should be seized with remorse and overcome by shame ― if there is any self-respect left in them,” the opposition leader added.

Umno supreme council member Tan Sri Annuar Musa admitted at the demonstration yesterday that he and the rally were “racist” in nature, but insisted that it was in line with Islamic teachings.