KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told right-wing Malay rights group Perkasa to “tone down” their antics tonight as he urged for better religious understanding among those of different faiths here.
Najib, who was speaking at the launch of Christians for Peace and Harmony in Malaysia (CPHM), a Putrajaya-backed Christian NGO, said this was necessary to ensure a mature Malaysian society.
“Because we want to build a Malaysia that’s not only fully built in the economic sense, and I think we will get there in terms of per capita income, but will Malaysia also be a matured society, predicated on the strong bond of humanity among us?
“That’s why I call on you, whether you’re Christians, Muslims, even Perkasa is here. It’s a good sign. Hopefully Perkasa will tone down a bit,” he said at launch.
Perkasa has been very vocal in championing the rights of Bumiputeras and Malays, most recently expressing dissatisfaction over the 11th Malaysia Plan, saying the five-year plan did not adequately address Bumiputera rights.
Najib added in his speech tonight that the slur “pendatang”, which means immigrant in Malay, should stop being used as every citizen is considered a Malaysian in their own right.
“And we believe in this country of ours, and there’s no such thing as calling each other ‘pendatang’, for example.
“We’re all Malaysians, only difference is not how long you’ve been here or where you come from or what religion you profess, only difference is your love for Malaysia,” he said, receiving rousing applause from the crowd.
In 2008, Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail was suspended from Umno and stripped of all party posts for three years following an uproar over his remarks describing Chinese Malaysians as “pendatang” during a political rally in Permatang Pauh.
“Pendatang”, the Malay word for immigrants, carries a negative connotation among the non-Malays.
No criminal action was taken against him, but a journalist was subsequently arrested under the Internal Security Act for reporting his speech.
