In anticipation of possible violence during the gathering of Malay “red shirt” protesters on Malaysia Day, some 500 shopkeepers and 773 street vendors in Petaling Street have collectively decided not to open their doors for business on September 16.
Ang Say Tee, chairperson of the Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association, said the decision was reached after a discussion between the organisation and several NGOs on September 5.
“Ninety per cent of the traders here have decided to close their business on the day in question to ensure their safety and to prevent any untoward incident,” Ang told Bernama on Sunday.
He also expressed hope that the organisers of the planned rally would cancel it outright, as businesses in the area would be affected by the mass closure.
Calling the gathering, alternately called the Rally for Malay Dignity and the Gathering for National Unity, racist in nature, Ang said Malaysia Day should be celebrated in the spirit of racial plurality and a patriotic, not ethnic, spirit.
The September 16 “red shirt” rally is being organised ostensibly as a response to the “DAP Chinese insolence” of the #BERSIH4 rally held on August 29 and 30, which some red shirt proponents have said insulted Malay rights by demanding Malay leaders, namely Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Cabinet, to step down.
