A rally based on race is something unreasonable in a multi-racial country like Malaysia, PAS lawmaker Mahfuz Omar said today.

"It is their right (to hold a rally) but we must not get into the mindset that Malaysia is only for one race.

"This will eventually cause tensions among the races.

"We are thinking about Malaysia now, not about any one race and such," Mahfuz told reporters after the opening ceremony of the 36th general assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was referring to the red shirt rally slated for "Malay dignity" Malaysia Day to counter the Bersih 4 rally for "clean governance" held during the Merdeka Day weekend.

There is actually a huge difference, he said, between the Bersih 4 rally and the red shirt counter-rally.

"The yellow shirt rally is the rakyat's rally. This rally (red shirts) is based on race," the Pokok Sena MP said.

This is a difference that the authorities should take note of, he said.

"I don't oppose their right (to gather peacefully) as it is their right, but it is very dangerous if we encourage such rallies based on race.

"I want to tell the authorities that they should see the difference (between the two rallies)," he insisted.

DAP's Kepong MP Tan Seng Giaw told reporters that as long as the counter-rally remains peaceful, the counter-protesters should be allowed to express themselves.

"Malaysians reject any form of violence. As long as the (red shirt) rally is peaceful, it is fine. They need to express their feelings too," he said when met at the same function.

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