KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — The controversial May 13 “Melayu Bangkit” gathering in Kuala Terengganu  has been postponed after the organisers “were instructed to do so”.

Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat (Gertak) chief, Razali Idris, also claimed that the date of the event was chosen by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and hence it is up to the former prime minister to decide on the next date for the gathering which was expected to draw 10,000.

“We had decided to postpone it after we were instructed by the country’s top leadership, who are worried about the security situation, after political parties manipulated the event for their interest,” Razali told The Malaysian Insider.

“The date for the event was chosen by Tun so we will let him decide when will be the suitable substitute date,” said the Gertak chief.

He added that the instruction to call off the gathering had reached him via the Terengganu Integrity Institute, the event’s co-organiser, early this evening.

Both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional component party leaders have come out to slam the gathering which some described as “uncivilised” and “insensitive”.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the Chinese-based party was against such a gathering as “all Malaysians have learned from May 13 to be more multiracial, inclusive, moderate and in support of 1 Malaysia.”

He warned other BN leaders from Umno not to attend the gathering, pointing out that it was nothing but a “dark reminder” of the past.

Likewise his counterpart from PAS blasted the gathering as part of Umno’s racist agenda.

Its vice-president Salahuddin Ayub and secretary-general Datuk Mustapha Ali also condemned the involvement of a government agency, saying it has marred the Najib administration’s all-inclusive 1 Malaysia policy.

But Razali was quick to point out that the attacks launched against them and the programme was politically motivated and that its critics had misconstrued the purpose of the gathering themed “Melayu bangkit” or “arise Malays”.

“The attacks are coming from parties who do not understand the true spirit of the gathering and are malicious in nature. They are the ones who are ruining the idea,” said Razali.

For him, the rally was meant to commemorate the racial riots as a stark reminder of what would happen if the economic welfare of the Malays, the nation’s majority race, were not safeguarded.

“We are not threatening anyone. It’s just an event to remind the Malays of what had happened on that fateful day so it won’t happen again in the future.

“The Malays were united in the fight for independence but after that, at that point on May 13, the Malays were weak, divided. Our economic status was low,” said Razali in his own interpretation of the race riots during which hundreds were killed.

To prove his point that the gathering was not political and meant merely to unite the Malays and not threaten other races, the Gertak chief said invitations were sent out to Malay leaders from the opposition party as well.

“From day one, we have decided that no party symbols are allowed at all during the event,” he said in backing his argument that the event was not racist in nature.