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Malaysian Chinese United Against War on Iraq
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A
Malaysian holds a placard and shouts anti-war slogan during an
anti-war petition campaign in downtown Kuala Lumpur
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, February 3 (IslamOnline) - The Chinese community in Malaysia
are against war on Iraq and is supporting efforts to gather signatures
from Malaysians as a sign of protest against U.S. plan to attack Iraq,
a high rank official of the Malaysian ruling coalition said on Monday,
February 3.
Housing
and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting, who is also the vice
president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), said the
multi-racial society, including the Chinese community, was aware that
war was not the best solution to the Iraqi crisis, Bernama reported.
"We
don't want the United States to attack Iraq and we don't want them
(the Americans) to start a war in any country.
"We
feel there has been enough violence in the form of wars which had been
waged previously," Ong told reporters.
Collecting
Signatures
A
Malaysian group is collecting signatures from Malaysians of all walks
of life and faith in order to build support for a peaceful solution in
Iraq and to protest against the U.S. plans to attack Iraq.
An
organizer of the signature collection said more than 20,000 people and
organizations has signed the document which calls for peace and for
aid for Iraq.
The
group does not have an official name, but is part of a larger
association of local Non-governmental Organizations (NGO).
The
campaign to gather at least one million signatures was initiated by
The People's Alliance for Peace (PEACE Malaysia) movement and was now
getting widespread support from the people of various races.
As a sign of support, Ong said several counters for the signature
campaign were set up at several open houses in the peninsula by people
who did it on their own initiative.
"In Sabah, they (counters for signature campaign) would be set up
immediately, and this reflects that all Malaysians, regardless of
race, are now united and don't want war to break out in Iraq.
"The Chinese community also do not forget the sufferings of
the Palestinians and the country that is facing an attack...we know of
their worries. That's why we hope that war can be avoided," he
said.
Soekarnoputri Facing Criticism
In
the mean time, Indonesia’s President Megawati Soekarnoputri is
facing mounting criticism for being slow to consider a formal protest
against the U.S. attempts to attack Iraq.
Major
groups in the country are urging her to show public support against
war in order to show that Indonesia is not a supporter of the U.S. in
the matter.
Analyst
Ikrar Nusa Bhakti on Sunday told the Jakarta Post Indonesia is giving
the impression it is supporting the U.S. and its allies over Iraq.
"It
is true that we are dependent on the U.S. for many things, but that
should not keep the President from being more assertive in addressing
the issue," Ikrar he said.
"Voicing
an anti-war opinion is a positive thing and in accordance with our
Constitution, regardless of any possible ire from Washington," he
added.
Muslim
groups in Indonesia have voiced their protest against the imminence of
a U.S. attack on Baghdad, promising to make more noise if the latter
start its attack any time now.
The
country saw thousands of people going down the streets to show support
for the Iraqis, though they made it clear they were not supporters of
Saddam Hussein.
Indonesia,
the world's most populous Muslim country, saw waves of street rallies
in 2001 after the U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, which was accused
of harboring Osama bin Laden, the chief suspect in the September 11,
2001, terrorist attacks on Washington and New York.
The
rallies, which in several areas were accompanied by threats against
American citizens, prompted several foreign missions to send home
nonessential staff.
It
is feared that similar rallies should the U.S. attack Iraq would cause
even more damage to the battered economy, harm bilateral relations
between Indonesia and the U.S. and also encourage radical groups to
rally against the U.S., which could destabilize Indonesia.
Indonesia
also has never disclosed whether it would support any attacks if they
were endorsed by a UN resolution.
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