China envoy summoned
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has summoned China’s ambassador to clarify his remarks criticising extremism and racism ahead of a planned pro-Malay rally in the capital.
Local newspaper The Star said on Friday Huang Huikang had warned that Beijing had no fear of speaking out against actions that threatened its interests and affected the rights of its people. “The Chinese government opposes terrorism and any form of discrimination against races and any form of extremism,” The Star quoted Mr Huang saying.
The Foreign Ministry said it asked Mr Huang for a meeting today to clarify the statements. “During the visit, he was interviewed by the media and subsequent media statements resulting from that interview have attracted attention and caused concern to the Malaysian public,” it said.
Mr Huang’s reported comments preceded a planned rally on Friday by a Malay-dominated, pro-government group that was reported to demand more Malay participation in Petaling Street, where most vendors are ethnic Chinese.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rally organisers said they cancelled the planned protest on advice from the police.
Mostly-Malay “red shirts” had taken the streets with 30,000 marchers in the middle of September to show support for Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is battling allegations of corruption and mismanagement at indebted state fund 1 Malaysia Development. But previous anti-government protests, critics said, led by a pro-democracy group called Bersih and which attracted many urban Chinese people, had insulted the country’s Malay leaders.
Malaysia’s population of 30 million consists of 67.4% Malays and indigenous communities, 24.6% Chinese, 7.3% Indians and 0.7% others, according to the Department of Statistics.