KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 (Sin Chew Daily) — Gerakan Rakyat president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai said in a statement today that prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was “adding fuel to the fire” by claiming that Dong Jiao Zong's national congress would prompt the Malays to start a similar rally.

Lau said this would not help resolve the issue of Jawi teaching at Chinese and Tamil primary school buts would incite racial hatred among the people.

He also said Mahathir's remarks had given Malay extremist organisations the "green light" to hold another congress similar to the Malay Dignity Congress.

He said the objective of the national congress for Chinese organisations was simple, i.e. to defend the sovereign rights of the Chinese primary school boards and urge the education ministry to cancel Jawi teaching at national-type primary schools.

He asserted that Malaysians had the right to express their dissatisfaction in the face of unfair treatment.

The Gerakan president also called for the prime minister to withdraw his remarks.