KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9: Malaysia’s premier insisted on Tuesday that his multi-racial coalition would not be torn apart by a rift over a ruling party member’s incendiary comments about ethnic Chinese.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also promised “stern action” against the politician who triggered the uproar, which highlighted tensions between majority Muslim Malays and the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.

It has also triggered unprecedented criticism from Chinese-based parties within the Barisan Nasional coalition, which is led by Abdullah’s United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Ahmad Ismail, an UMNO leader from northern Penang state, sparked the row by describing ethnic Chinese as “lodgers”, and escalated the situation on Monday with an outburst in which he warned the community not to seek political power.

“The patience of the Malays and Muslims has a limit. Do not push us to the wall, as when we turn back we will be forced to push the Chinese in the interests of our own survival,” he told a press conference.

“The Chinese should not try to be like the Jews in America it is not enough they control the economy, now they want political control,” he said.

Malays are dominant in politics in Malaysia, while ethnic Chinese are prominent in business. Past violence between the two communities has made discussion of racial issues extremely sensitive.

Abdullah said after a meeting of the coalition’s Supreme Council that party leaders had expressed “regret and anger” over the comments and that UMNO would make a decision on Ahmad’s fate on Wednesday.

“Immediate action will be taken because any delay could make more people angry... tough action will be taken,” he told reporters.—AFP