Reject extremism, be cool like the goat, MCA chief tells Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai urged Malaysians today to emulate the serenity of the goat this new year, saying the country has no room for extremism.

Liow, who just recently locked horns with fellow minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob over the latter’s allegedly racist remark against the Chinese, insisted that the majority of Malaysians are peace-loving.

“As long as moderates are in the majority, we won’t allow extremists to take center stage,” he said when met at MCA’s Chinese New Year open house here.

“We have a very big base of Malaysians who love harmony and unity and stability.”

Asked to comment on recent provocations against the Chinese community in Malaysia, including Ismail’s call to boycott unscrupulous Chinese traders, Liow indicated that they did not shake his confidence.

“We are promoting moderation in Malaysia,” he told Malay Mail Online.

“We strongly feel that Malaysian diversity is a strength. We are united in diversity.”

When asked by reporters to comment on the import of the new year, the MCA chief said the Year of the Goat has a lot of significance to Malaysians.

“(A) goat is an animal that seems to be more calm and very caring, and we want to see more of this spirit this year where we need a harmonious society.”

He also expressed confidence that the moderation of Malaysians would overcome extremism.

Two weeks ago, Ismail sparked a firestorm of protests over his Facebook post urging Malay consumers to boycott allegedly profiteering Chinese businesses.

The minister added that the high price of goods, despite the dip in fuel costs, was a form of sabotage aimed at stirring public dissent against the government.

Ismail later said he was not directing his words at the Chinese community, but merely to unscrupulous Chinese businesses that have been indiscriminately raising their prices and keeping costs high.

The minister has since deleted the Facebook post, and Putrajaya issued a statement to “clarify” that the minister was referring to all unscrupulous traders and not only to those of Chinese descent.