Small extremist group can cause flare-ups, say ex navy commander

Despite retaining his belief that the general Malaysian public is not buying into the ramped up racial tone in the national political discourse, author and former navy commander S Thayaparan believes that even a small pocket of people inciting trouble can cause an ugly flare-up.

In his first book, the retired Royal Malaysian Navy commander - who has also been an active writer with strong views on politics and community over the past three years - warned that a group, however small, can "cause very serious problems in the country".