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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's armed forces chief has voiced concerns about rising racial tensions in the country.
General Abdul Aziz Zainal urged the government on Thursday to take stern action to stem the tide, but maintained that the military will not interfere in the country's political affairs.
De facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has vowed to overthrow the government by September 16. And as the deadline draws nearer, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition is plagued by its own race row.
Speaking on Wednesday night after meting out punishment for Mr Ahmad Ismail - the UMNO divisional chief who has been suspended for three years for his racial outburst – Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi admitted for the first time that worsening race relations have reached an alarming stage.
He warned that the government will have no qualms about invoking the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial, against anyone who tries to stir racial hatred.
"We need to love our country. We need to do all we can to avoid incidents that could hurt race relations and destabilise the country. We need to save Malaysia from race disputes," said Mr Abdullah.
But Mr Ahmad Ismail shows no remorse, insisting that Malaysia's Chinese minority are squatters and have no right to fight for equal rights.
The racial tensions have prompted the armed forces chief to voice his concerns, sparking fears from the opposition that the ruling government may employ military intervention to stay in power.
But General Abdul Aziz gave the assurance that the military will steer clear of the country's political affairs.
He said: "We are an institution which is highly professional. We are apolitical; we'll leave it to the leadership to handle the situation."
Amid mounting criticisms over his inability to control his men and to keep his party in check, Mr Abdullah faces fresh calls from within UMNO to step down.
However, the prime minister has vowed to stick to his original transition plan to hand over power to his deputy, Najib Razak, in June 2010.
- CNA/so
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