Published: Sunday November 23, 2008 MYT 7:00:00 PM
Updated: Sunday November 23, 2008 MYT 8:19:28 PM
Malay, Muslim NGOs lodge police reports
By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Representatives from an umbrella body of Malay and Muslim non-governmental organisations lodged five police reports Sunday over several issues which they claimed endangered Muslim and Malay unity.
The Heritage Associations, Malay Cultural Organisations and Related Bodies Cooperation Network (Pewaris) urged the Government to act against groups which are asking for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA).
They also lodged reports against the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe and Sisters in Islam, the last for their remarks on the National Fatwa Council’s edict against pengkid or tomboys.
They urged Tan to apologise to the Malays for her remarks, which they claimed had insulted their race.
Pewaris spokesman Datuk Dr Maa’mor Osman told reporters that the 30 NGOs had agreed to form a coalition called Majlis Permuafakatan Ummah to counter criticism made against Malays and Islam.
He said the Malay NGOs felt that it was crucial for them to voice their concerns against the action of other parties which allegedly tried to belittle the Malays, Islam as the official religion of the Federation, and bumiputra rights.
“We will hold several roadshows nationwide, starting in Selangor, to explain the issues that are affecting the Malays and to remind them of the importance of maintaining unity.
“Those who question the rights of the Malays as enshrined in the Constitution should be taught about how these rights and privileges had been agreed upon by the country’s leaders during Independence.
“We hope to reach a consensus by the end of the year, which will be detailed in a memorandum that we will send to the Prime Minister and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he told reporters after attending a closed-door talk with other Malay-based groups here on Sunday.
On the ISA, Dr Maa’mor said the group agreed that the Act was needed to prevent the outbreak of problems that might hamper national security.
Later, about 500 of the coalition’s members held a peaceful gathering outside their meeting place at Wisma Sejarah before going to the Jalan Tun Razak police station to lodge their reports.
During the gathering, a woman who was standing at an overhead pedestrian bridge shouted obscenities at the group.
Some members of the group responded with shouts while others chased her before they were stopped by policemen.
The group lodged another report against the woman at the police station.
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