Malaysian Army: we’ll keep off politics

SINGAPORE: The Malaysian military has “no intention of interfering in the country’s politics,” according to the Defence Forces Chief, Abdul Aziz Zainal.
He told journalists in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that Malaysia’s professional armed forces would “leave” the domestic controversies to “the political leadership.” However, it was appropriate to advise the people against propagating racial sentiments in multi-cultural Malaysia, and there was no veiled message behind such counsel, he said.
These comments are considered significant in the present context of heightened political activity in Malaysia. The ruling United Malays National Organisation has taken action against a party activist for his comments on the status of the ethnic Chinese minority. People of Indian origin constitute the other significant minority in Malaysia.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi renewed his call for racial harmony in this new situation. And, on the wider political front, leader of the opposition Anwar Ibrahim said he was on course to unseat the Prime Minister and lead a new government.