KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — Like drowning men clutching at straws, the country’s former leaders now under investigation for mismanagement will do anything for power, including stirring up racial tensions, according to the National Patriots Association.

Without naming anyone, its president Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji suggested today that such former government leaders were behind the calls urging Muslims, Malays and other Bumiputera to rally in the national capital next month to protest a proposal for Malaysia’s ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

"Cui bono, or who benefit if there are racial strife and ruins? The answer is obvious. There are several leaders from the previous administration awaiting trials and under investigations. The stakes for them are very high, and like drowning men who will do anything, even to destroy our nation,” he said in a statement.

Arshad, a retired brigadier-general, said veteran servicemen are very concerned over the increasing displays of bravado by certain groups making racially and religiously provocative statements that have been circulating through social media.

He said such messages were cause for alarm as they sought to use the anti-ICERD mass rally as a catalyst to stage riots and spread chaos throughout the country.

"Even in the New Malaysia era there is a limit to free speech, such as those by the newly-formed NGO Gagasan 3 which is aimed at provoking hatred and instigating a racial riot,” he said.

Arshad declared the leaders of Gagasan 3 "nobodies” who had never fought for any issue of national note and were incapable of "articulating issues, even of race and religion, in a civil and intelligent manner”, noting that the group had only shown themselves to be anti-DAP and racial provocateurs to date.

"The Inspector-General of Police should move swiftly against hate speech on social media before it is too late.

"All hate speeches and viraled messages by the groups out to create trouble should be closely monitored by the authorities, and the problem must be nipped in the bud before things get out of control,” he added.

Gagasan 3 was formed with the sole intention of "declaring war” on Pakatan Harapan (PH) member DAP, claiming the latter is the dominant voice in Putrajaya.

The coalition is headed by Raggie Jessy, a blogger known for his controversial Third Force blog. His deputy is Amran Ahmad Nor, reportedly a disgruntled former DAP publicity unit employee.

The group’s adviser Datuk Azwanddin Hamzah from Malay rights group Jaringan Melayu Malaysia, had told a press conference this week that it currently has 53 non-governmental organisations as its members.

Both Umno and PAS leaders have called on Muslims, Malays and other Bumiputera to gather at Dataran Merdeka December 8 for an anti-ICERD demonstration even as Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday that his PH administration is unlikely to ratify the UN anti-discriminal treaty as it does not currently have two-thirds support in Parliament.