Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low has backed the move for the National Harmony Bill to be tabled in Parliament soon, following the clashes at Low Yat Plaza.

He said the law is essential to foster mutual understanding among people of different ethnicities, beliefs and cultures.

“The greatest threat to peace and harmony do not come from outside but from within. We see it manifest through racist and religious bigoted behaviour. This is division.

“This discord can only be harmonised by accepting our common destiny as diverse people in one country. The proposed National Harmony Act is part of that journey,” Low ( photo )  said in a statement today.

He was responding to a statement from another Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Joseph Kurup, who reportedly said yesterday that the National Harmony Bill would be tabled in Parliament soon.

"This Act will focus on several important elements, such as prevention, education, moderation and restoration," The Sun quoted Joseph as saying.

Riot sparked by handphone theft

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced in 2012 that the National Harmony Act would replace the Sedition Act 1948.

However, during the Umno general assembly last year, Najib declared that the Sedition Act would not be abolished but instead strengthened.

There had been scant mention of the National Harmony Bill since, although Najib had told Parliament in May that the government was still studying whether the proposed law was necessary.

According to the police, the Low Yat clashes on July 12 were sparked by a handphone theft on the day before.

A fight ensued after a youth was dissatisfied when he was allegedly accused of stealing a mobile phone. Security guards handed him over to the police.

Subsequently a friend of the accused contacted several other friends who later came to beat up a worker at the store, and in the process damaged the store, with losses estimated at RM70,000.

Videos of the brawl had spread quickly through social media platforms and took on a racial twist, including claims that the fight was started by an unsatisfied customer who tried to return a fake handphone that he bought.

At least six people were injured in the subsequent clashes that took place outside Low Yat Plaza, including three journalists.