Responding to the Bersih 4 rally held on August 29-30, pro-Malay rights leaders under the banner of Himpunan Maruah Melayu will stage a counter-rally on September 16 in Bukit Bintang.
Counter movements mobilised around ethno-religious issues aimed at defending their race and religion against other ethnic minorities in the country are not new.
For example, as a response to the Bersih 2 rally in 2011, conservative Malay group Perkasa launched a counter protest initiative, anti-Bersih movement, under the name of Gerak Aman.
Looking at the movement's dynamics that we have now, it is reasonable to view such development as part of a political conflict in which movements pursue goals in struggles over political, social and economic resources.
Although the police did not permit the rally, ironically, what’s worrying is the silent support by some political leaders. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak denied sponsoring the rally, but he did not stop Umno members from attending the rally.
When Malaysia was bidding for the non-permanent member seat in the UN Security Council last year, Najib made advancing moderation globally as one of the five priorities. Meantime, he was also the brainchild of the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM).
It is obvious we are not doing what we preach.
Since the late 1990s, Malaysia has given rise to the possibility for the emergence of contending discourses. With further political transformation taking place since then, the political landscape was not only marked by political parties, but also is characterised by the escalating of social protests and movements.
The responsibility of social movements is elevated, as the country is pressured to continue its path towards democracy. Based on this argument, ethno-religious movements such as the “red shirt” rally could hinder democracy because of its disruptive nature.
We should allow street protests as long as it is peaceful.
More importantly, we wouldn’t want events to escalate into an ethno-religious crisis because of its potential to disrupt political stability and socio-development in the country. – September 14, 2015.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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