KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — Umno Youth members who have volunteered as security detail for the anti-ICERD rally have been told to keep an eye out for attempts to sabotage the gathering.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki issued the instruction during his briefing for the group this morning.
“Please do not allow bad elements to sabotage our peaceful rally today.
“If there are any racist or religiously-inclined placards, quickly confiscate them, but I implore you to exercise restraint when doing so,” he said.
Asyraf also reminded those present that they were here today to show to the government that they are fully against the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
“We are here to show that the masses cannot be fooled by certain quarters who intend to bring outside elements into the country,” he said.
Asyraf said there are about 10,000 security volunteers from Umno, PAS and other non-governmental organisations.
The Umno Youth security volunteers wear red shirts to differentiate themselves from the rally participants who are urged to wear white.
Earlier today, PAS Youth volunteers under its Jabatan Amal Malaysia gathered at Masjid Jamek to be briefed on keeping the peace.
Clad in their maroon uniforms and berets, they were told to prioritise safety above all else and urged to cooperate with local authorities to deal with troublemakers.
Some 3,000 people gathered at the iconic Masjid Jamek at around 11:20am with some people arriving as early as 2am in anticipation of the rally.
Adorn in a white baju melayu, rally participant Mohd Rahim Ghazali, 31, who hails from Alor Setar, said he had arrived in the capital days earlier for the rally.
“I have been in the city for the past two days along with some of my family members. We are excited to see this many Malaysians gathered in one place to show the government that we don’t agree with ICERD,” he said.
Various roadside stalls and hawkers have set up in front of the mosque, all along Jalan Tun Perak up until the intersection heading towards Dataran Merdeka.
