KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 ― The Malays would not have gathered at yesterday's #Merah169 rally if the Bersih 4 protest had not been held, Utusan Malaysia's editors said today.
Writing under their shared Awang Selamat pseudonym, the editors at the Umno-linked Malay daily claimed that the demonstration yesterday was a response to the “rude” behaviour of participants at the Bersih 4 protest that was organised by polls reform group Bersih 2.0 to press for institutional reforms.
“No rally would have been held if Bersih, which was manipulated by the opposition, was not held,” they said.
“In short, if they do not want the Malays to rally, then they should not have rallied as well, in an illegal assembly no less,” the paper added.
Thousands of Malays dressed in red shirts demonstrated at the rally in the city centre here yesterday that was called “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” [United People’s Assembly], alternatively called “Himpunan Maruah Melayu” [Malay Dignity Rally].
The protest was marred by sporadic outbreaks of racism, with one attendee recorded calling a reporter “Cina gila babi” [Crazy Chinese pig], among other insults.
The rally, said to be in support of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s leadership, was held to counter last month’s overnight Bersih 4 gathering that called for his resignation.
