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If you see your own country going downthe drain, then we need to do something, we need to fight against corruption which is like a cancer in Malaysiathe capital on September 16, with a pro-Malay tone. Supporters, num- bering in the tens of thousands, wore red shirts with knife-wielding martial arts warriors and slogans supporting the rights of Malays. Rally organizers stated eight main objectives, including the safeguarding of Malay leaders, the dominant status of Islam and greater implementation of policies related to Bumiputera (ethnic Malay) rights and privileges.A participant of the pro-govern- ment rally, Taufik Kambal, 36, saw the Bersih protests as a Chinese- dominated movement rather than one that united Malaysians. He denies that the pro-government rally was racist in nature.“I’ m tired of Malaysian Chinese saying Singapore does this or that better,” he said. “Instead of being constructive, they always seem negative. The Bersih rally was justthem being against the government. They don’t respect Malay culture but expect us to respect theirs. They do whatever they like, with little regard for the Malays who were here first, and don’t have a plan for the future. They’ve had generations to assimilate but they still live in their own circles, and keep looking down on us. What more do they want? If they don’t want to help all Malaysians, I feel we have to push the country forward ourselves.”Alice Bu, 30, living in Johor Bahru, was unsure about the motivation of the counter-protesters.“The red shirt protests were formed with an unclear purpose and created unnecessary worries for the nation,” she said. Ultimately, though, she thinks all Malaysians “would like to have a harmonious peaceful society and a better future”.Ms Bu sees many positive develop-Elite+ 23