By Kow Gah Chie
Jun 17, 11 | MalaysiaKini
MCA Youth has turned down its Umno counterpart’s invitation to join them in the July 9 street rally in the belief that such activities would be detrimental to the national economy.
MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong said at a press conference at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today that though the movement disagrees with groups intention, it still respects their views.
Yesterday, Umno Youth head Khairy Jamaludin said that he would organise a march to the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur in support of the current electoral system, denying that they were indulging in a counter-rally.
A coalition group known as Bersih 2.0 had already announced in May that it would be rallying on July 9 to call for meaningful electoral reforms which Perkasa vowed a counter-rally.
Wee said that MCA Youth’s decision to sit out of the protest will not affect their relationship with Umno Youth or BN Youth.
“BN has 13 youth movements and all have their views. They usually don’t interfere with each other. The MCA Youth central committee does not agree (with the rally),” he said.
Wee said that everyone in Malaysia has the right to freedom of expression but said that it should be done indoors and not on the streets.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin insisted that its rally had nothing to do with the Bersih 2.0 rally.
Instead, the youth movement’s purpose was to lend support to the current electoral system and also to help in making the system better.
Perkasa on the other hand had pledged to foil the Bersih 2.0 rally.