A Malay student organisation said Monday it had postponed plans for nationwide protest rallies after a Chinese group shelved controversial requests for an end to some Malay privileges.
Syed Anuar Syed Mohamad, secretary-general of the Peninsular Malay Students Federation, said the decision "amounts to a ceasefire in the war of words with the Malaysian Chinese Organisations Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu)...
"We are also worried that other quarters would take advantage of the rallies to organise similar gatherings which may aggravate the situation," Bernama news agency quoted him as saying in the eastern state of Terengganu.
Suqiu said Friday it agreed to withdraw its request to the government to abolish all distinctions between indigenous races, known as bumiputeras, and others.
The decision came on the eve of a rally by the Malay student body in Terengganu in protest at the Suqiu requests. The gathering went ahead last Saturday but changed its theme to focus on unity.
Syed Anuar said his federation was not acting under pressure from the country's national leadership.
Controversy had arisen over an appeal issued before the November 1999 election by Suqiu, a committee representing 13 ethnic Chinese organisations, for the government to "take steps to abolish in all aspects the 'bumiputera/non-bumiputera' distinction."
Bumiputeras -- Malays and other races deemed to be indigenous -- make up about 63 percent of the population, Chinese about 25 percent and Indians about eight percent.
Bumiputeras have special rights under the constitution. Following an anti-Chinese race riot in 1969, the government also introduced an affirmative action programme to help Malays and other bumiputeras narrow the wealth gap with the Chinese, who dominate business.
In August and again in December Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad blasted Suqiu, likening it to communist terrorists and to an Islamic cult which staged a brief armed revolt last year -- KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)
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