Malaysia: Racial Tensions Concern Military Leader

No Comments | September 11th, 2008 | Trackback

Racial tensions have been flaring to the point where the head of the armed forces warned the government to calm them or run the risk of threatening the nation’s security. The general was concerned that should tensions be allowed to simmer they could lead to chaos. The issue has been heating up since elections in March, when ethnic Chinese and Indians united against the ruling Malay party, then flared in August when a ruling party leader made offensive remarks about Chinese Malaysians. Ethnic Malays have been rallying behind him while Chinese-based parties have filed sedition claims against him. Racial tensions are not new to Malaysia, a country composed of 60 percent Malays, 25 percent Chinese and 8 percent Indians. The issue has been near the surface since 1969 when three days of racial riots claimed hundreds of lives.