KUCHING, Sept 18 — Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth sought today to distance itself from the racial messages advocated by the Malay organisers of the controversial #Merah169 rally staged on Malaysia Day two days ago in Kuala Lumpur.

The state BN wing chief Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said Sarawak is for all races to live in peace, stability and harmony.

“It is alien and not applicable to Sarawak,” Fadillah, who is from the state BN anchor party PBB, told reporters after chairing the coalition youth wing’s supreme council meeting here.

He added that while Sarawak has its own history which is different from both peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, the state stresses on mutual respect and will always protect racial unity and harmony.

“This is our strength. When we say we practise 1Malaysia concept, we are genuine and sincere  and truly practising  the 1Malaysia spirit. This is the uniqueness of Sarawak,” the Petra Jaya MP said.

Fadillah, who is also federal works minister, said Sarawak does not want to get involved in the affairs of other states but is willing to help them nurture the spirit of mutual respect to bring about peace, racial harmony and political stability.

He highlighted that it is not uncommon in Sarawak to see people of the same community practise different religions and are still able to live in harmony with each other.

“This is the value which we have been practising all this while,” he said, adding: “If we can have this kind of racial and religious harmony, I am sure Malaysia can remain peaceful and stable.”

Thousands of Malays, mostly dressed in red, had thronged the federal capital on September 16 in a rally organised by silat group Pesaka touting Malay and Islamic rights, ostensibly in response to last month’s mammoth Bersih 4 demonstration demanding Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s resignation and institutional reforms to save the country’s economy.

The August 29 and 30 saw large numbers of ethnic Chinese compared to those of other races, which was used by several vocal speakers, including Umno leaders, to justify their “red” rally.