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.