PKR today visited Low Yat Plaza to show solidarity ahead of Sept 16 red shirt anti-Bersih rally, which is said to redeem the dignity and honour of Malays.

Its president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail headed a delegation comprising eight lawmakers and some 20 party members, giving out 100 roses to the traders.

At their arrival, they were greeted with applause and warm smiles.

They made it a point of visiting the Oppo shop where an alleged theft triggered a brawl in July.

"We are here to spread peaceful message. We support you, the traders and the consumers, forever. We love you," shouted PKR parliamentary whip Johari Abdul, who addressed the crowd with a loud-hailer at the UG floor.

"We are here to show this is a united nation. Trust us; we want a harmonious and peaceful nation," he said.

Party strategic director Sim Tze Tsin said: "We want peace, we reject chaos."

Later in a press conference, Wan Azizah, who is also the opposition leader, condemned the organiser for planning a rally which is racial in nature.

"Whilst peaceful assembly is allowed under the Federal Constitution and the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, nevertheless, the reason and motive of having the demonstration along racial lines is unwarranted.

"We urge the organiser of Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu or Himpunan Maruah Melayu to focus on finding solutions to the country's economic and political crises faced by the people," she said.

PKR members barred

According to the Permatang Pauh parliamenatarian, the 'red shirt' rally may lead to racial discontent.

"It can lead to disharmony and racial discontent, what more when the rally is planned to be held in areas with a majority Chinese ethnic group, such as Bukit Bintang and Petaling Street," she said.

Worse still, it was reported that the Umno leadership has informed that they will be sending party members to join the rally, she said.

She called for the police to stem any effort to racialise events such as posters associated with the rally being displayed in the capital.

"The 'red shirt' rally with certain racial sentiment, if allowed, will bring down the very essence of the values of our society - common decency and sense," she added.

"On that premise, PKR will not allow its members to attend the rally," she stressed.

"Today, we went down to Bukit Bintang to extend our peace message to all ethnic groups in a consolidated effort to save our country as Malaysians of many ethnic groups and religion," she said.

The PKR leader also called Malaysians to come together to fight against real concerns amidst a national-level leadership crisis and mounting scandals.

Also present were MPs Zuraida Kamaruddin, Wong Chen, Fuziah Salleh, William Leong, and Selangor deputy speaker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

The Low Yat shopping complex which was the venue of a racial incident involving a hundred youths following a handphone theft from a shop, will be open for business as usual on Sept 16.

Mall security stepped up

"Low Yat will operate as usual. As far as we know, all the malls in Bukit Bintang will be open too," said Gary Lam, the corporate communication manager for the popular computer gadget mall.

He, however, said the mall had lodged a police report and would get the cops' help to extend protection to traders and consumers on that day, should there be provocation.

"Since the (mall brawl) incident, we have increased our security force by 35 percent while ensuring the mall is guarded 24 hours," he said.

To a question on their strategy to ensure the safety of all on that day, he candidly said they had no other strategy other than to increase their security personnel numbers.

He pointed out that the mall brawl took place despite the presence of the cops, adding the mall will work closely with the cops and local authority.

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