Malays delay rallies as race row cools

Malays delay rallies as race row cools

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A Malay student organization said on
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
Organizations Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu)...

"We are also worried that other quarters would take advantage
of the rallies to organize similar gatherings which may aggravate
the situation," Bernama news agency quoted him as saying in the
eastern state of Terengganu.

Suqiu said last 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.