KUALA LUMPUR: About half a million people are expected to attend a rally that was supposed to be held in objection to the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) according to Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (pix).
According to Tajuddin, PAS, who are the joint organisers of the rally, are expecting 300,000 people whereas Umno is expecting 200,000 people to attend the rally on Saturday (Dec 8).
“So you can expect 500,000 people will gather in white shirts. Kuala Lumpur will be ‘bleached’ (diputihkan), we will make it white on the 8th,“ the Pasir Salak MP told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.
Tajuddin, who is also coordinating the event vowed that it will be a peaceful event.
“You will see a peaceful rally,“ he said.
The rally was supposed to be against the government’s decision to ratify Icerd, since then, the government has decided not to ratify it.
Organisers of the rally then said that it will still proceed with the rally as a “thanksgiving” for not ratifying Icerd despite warnings that this might cause “racial anxiety”.
Tajuddin also thanked City Hall (DBKL) and the Police for giving the green light for the rally to go on.
“The authorities understand that the public has the right to hold a rally. This is a good sign and they deserve to be praised.”
Meanwhile PAS said that they will come down hard on participants who try to cause chaos at the rally.
It’s deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim bin Tuan Man urged all participants to abide by the rules of the rally.
Meanwhile Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also said that they were not attending the rally to cause trouble, instead it is being done as a thank you to the government.
“On behalf of Umno and PAS, we are going to this rally and it must be separated from race based issues. We are gathering in this rally to state our gratitude and thanks to the government’s and particularly the Cabinet’s decision to not ratify Icerd,“ he said.
“The media must play a role to spread the news that the rally will not raise sensitive racial issues in our country,“ said Zahid.
