At the beginning of his fourth speech to the United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recounted how five years ago he had stood before the same assembly and called for a Global Movement – of Moderates of all religions and all countries – to marginalize extremists, reclaim the centre, and shape the agenda towards peace and pragmatism.

He said Malaysia had followed up his call with both practical action and by building intellectual capacity.

Unfortunately in the past five years, the world has become a more dangerous place accentuated by the recent warning of a German journalist, Jurgen Todenhofer, who was embedded on the frontline with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group for 10 days in the northern town of Mosul in 2014, in his new book “Inside IS – Ten Days in the Islamic State”, that millions of people in the West may perish in a nuclear tsunami the IS in planning to launch.

In Malaysia, although Najib has incorporated the Global Movement of Moderates, the cause of moderation is in retreat with extremism raising its ugly head, aided and abetted by the powers-that-be and causing a “perfect storm” of a national crisis to be formed!

If Najib is sincere and truthful about his commitment to the cause of moderation and the Global Movement of Moderates, he must walk the talk and stop preaching moderation in international forums about sharing Malaysia’s experience as a showcase of successful multi-ethnic and multi-religious society while condoning extremism causing the worst racial and religious polarisation the country and seeking to revive the race card and the irresponsible politics of hatred and lies.

I challenge Najib to commission the Global Movement of Moderates headed by its CEO Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah to report on who were the extremists and who were the moderates in the events surrounding the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally and the 4-hour Sept. 16 Red Shirts Rally in time for the 2016 budget debate in Parliament beginning on Oct. 26 – to save Malaysia from the unprecedented “perfect storm” of political, economic and nation-building crises confronting Malaysia.

How can Najib expect credibility and even legitimacy to be preaching a global movement of moderates to marginalize extremism when his government tolerates and condones the worst excesses of extremism, hatred and intolerance of race supremacy and communal politics?

Najib’s Cabinet had not apologized for the “extremism” of the Sept. 16 Red Shirts Rally which was clearly organized by UMNO despite the passage of two Cabinet meetings.

Instead of speaking truth to power to inform the UMNO leaders that the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally had nothing to do with race or politics, but a genuine national grassroots movement for good governance and clean, free and fair elections, transcending race altogether, MCA and Gerakan leaders have been caught red-handed in having instigated extremist UMNO leaders to respond in a racialist and extremist fashion like the Sept. 16 Red Shirts Malay Rally and the aborted Sept. 26 demonstration at Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur.

The joint MCA-Gerakan press conference two days ago making the ludicrous demand that DAP repent and be responsible for the political provocations that caused racial tension in the country, is the “smoking gun” of the irresponsible and treacherous role played by MCA and Gerakan leaders in helping to manufacture the “perfect storm” now confronting Malaysia.

If Najib dare to accept the challenge to commission the Global Movement of Moderates headed by its CEO Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah to report on who were the extremists and who were the moderates over the events surrounding the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally and the 4-hour Sept. 16 Red Shirts Rally, DAP leaders are prepared to appear before the Global Movement of Moderates to submit evidence that:

(i) that the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally on August 29/30 was not a Chinese “show-of-force” to challenge Malay political authority;

(ii) that the DAP had not hijacked or masterminded the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally, as alleged by irresponsible UMNO/BN leaders and media; and

(iii) that the Sept. 16 Red Shirts Malay rally was a serious manifestation of extremism which should be “marginalized” in a global movement of moderates; and

(iv) the role of MCA and Gerakan in instigating UMNO extremist fringes to respond in a most dishonest, provocative, confrontational and racist manner to the Bersih 4 rally like the Sept. 16 Red Shirt rally when they should have the courage to speak truth to power to inform UMNO leaders that the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally was not about race or politics, but the yearnings of Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region for good governance and clean, free, fair elections.

Let the Global Movement of Moderates also outline the blueprint to save Malaysia for moderates by marginalizing extremists!