Lim: Lets talk to end race, religious enmity

http://ift.tt/1rcVUBy PETALING JAYA: Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang today called for a National Reconciliation Roundtable – a series of dialogues between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat – that is aimed at checking the rising racial and religious polarisation in the country. In addition, the dialogue is to reach a national consensus to end all May 13 threats. “It is time we moved on,” Lim Kit Siang said in a statement. “Let us all learn to be careful from last weeks furore (over the May 13 threats).” “We should not be careless in our public statements and avoid insensitive and provocative expressions which undermines racial and religious understanding, harmony and peace,” he said. “The roundtable would check racial and religious polarisation and reach national consensus to end all May 13 threats,” he said. He called on Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to support his roundtable proposal. “We should end the perilous course of incessant stoking and incitement of racial and religious hatred, conflicts and tension in the past 14 months,” he said. Muhyiddin had denied he had made threats but simply said that all races must stand united to prevent another May 13. He had said such clashes could happen if Malaysians do not preserve harmony. Speaking in Kedah last night, Muhyiddin said it was not wrong to issue such reminders, which applies to both Malays and non-Malays. Lim welcomed Muhyiddin’s clarification and said although he takes it with “a big pinch of salt” he hopes, henceforth, no person will issue May 13 threats to any particular community. Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr.P. Ramasamy has also denied challenging Muhyiddin to re-enact the May 13 riots. Dr.Ramasamy had said he was “upset, sick and tired” that Muhyiddin had harped on the May 13 issue. Lim also welcomed the formation of Negara-Ku, a new NGO to combat racism and extremism by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan and National Laurete A Samad Said.



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