Given that Sept 16 is also Malaysia Day, MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan said today Malaysians should demonstrate unity and come together amidst the difficult times.
The people should not resort to the street protest, more so when it holds thick racial overtones, Ong said.
"Since Independence, Malaysians have relied on our strong national unity to build the prosperity we all enjoy today. Even our proud landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers, was not built overnight but through the heaping up of small components over time.
"Therefore, we should cherish even more the harmony that we have today, which was certainly not easy to come by.
"As such, MCA is against the 'red shirt' gathering, which clearly has a racist agenda, wields strong provocative insinuation and only seeks to narrow-mindedly demonstrate the strength of a particular race," he added in a media statement today.
Ong said Malaysians must identify themselves with the nation and not by race or religion.
"At a time when the nation is facing consecutive economic challenges, the rakyat should appreciate this special day even more and take the pragmatic path by staying united to face the challenges ahead together.
"The urgent need for us now is to seriously find ways and directions to alleviate the tension among the ethnicities so as to prevent it from brewing into a racial confrontation," Ong added.
The red shirts rally is touted as a gathering for Malay pride to counter Bersih 4, which certain quarters had criticised as a Chinese affair.
Several factions in Umno have also expressed support for the rally.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said he would not prevent Umno members from taking part in the Sept 16 rally, but warned them not to break the law or turn it into a racial platform.
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