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Kuala Lumpur: A top Malaysian politician has apologised for brandishing a traditional dagger at party assemblies after receiving criticism from ethnic minority leaders that the move symbolised racial violence, news reports said on Saturday.
Ruling party youth chief Hishammuddin Hussain unsheathed and kissed a Malay warrior's "keris" knife - a battle weapon and ceremonial symbol of spiritual power - in recent years at the party's annual congress.
The act evoked fears of ethnic violence such as Malaysia's deadly 1969 riots, triggered by Malays' anger over ethnic Chinese wealth and influence, some minority leaders say.
Hishammuddin, who is the youth chief of the ruling United Malays National Organisation party and the country's education minister, apologised Friday night "to the non-Malays for making them feel apprehensive about the symbol, and to the Malays for not being able to defend our symbol of heritage."
Rare open friction
Open friction is rare between Malays, who make up about 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people, and minorities who include ethnic Chinese and Indians.
Minorities have, however, increasingly accused the Malaysian government of discrimination - a factor in the ruling coalition's loss of its long-standing two-thirds parliamentary majority in March elections.
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