The contents of the 'Ethnic Relations' textbook, currently in use in some universities, comprise "historical facts that cannot be disputed", Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed told the Dewan Rakyat today.

The textbook has drawn controversy for branding the Malaysian Chinese Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) as "extremist" because of a set of demands; blaming Indian youths for the infamous Kampung Medan incident in 2001; and fingering opposition party DAP for triggering the May 13, 1969 race riots.

"Among these are historical facts and some are subject to interpretation and analysis. There are historical facts which we can't dispute like the Kampung Medan incident and the Suqiu demands - these happened and we can't question it," he said in reply to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor).

"If we recall, a few demands made by Suqiu (in the run-up to the 1999 general election) were indeed extreme and against the Federal Constitution. These questioned things which we had agreed upon in the constitution. So we think it (the textbook) is right in its mention of Suqiu (as extremist)," he said during the question session.

The minister said the government's position is that the contents were right but added that he was prepared to check anything that does not represent the facts, with a view to making changes.

Lim, earlier in a supplementary question, had described the textbook as "biased".

Bumiputera rights

Met later in the Parliament lobby, Mustapa said the ministry had no plans to suspend the subject or withdraw the textbook for the time being, but said the syllabus for the subject should have been standardised for all universities.

Elaborating on why he described Suqiu's election appeals document as "extreme", he argued that it had questioned the privileges enjoyed by bumiputeras "although these rights were agreed upon a long time ago".

Nevertheless, prior to the 1999 general election, Barisan Nasional headed by then head and premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had endorsed Suqiu's appeals in principle.

'Ethnic Relations' was introduced as a subject in local varsities as a compulsory subject this year, except in Universiti Malaya and the International Islamic University Malaysia. However, so far only the textbook used by Universiti Putra Malaysia has been questioned.

Concerned groups and individuals have claimed that the book appears to be burning rather than building bridges between ethnic communities in Malaysia.

Respected historian Prof Khoo Kay Kim said using words like "extremist" goes against the objectives of the subject.

He also took issue with the selective presentation of history, in that it was Gerakan, not DAP, that had participated in the procession in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, which had triggered the 1969 riots.

Constitution 'rewritten'

Meanwhile, another error has surfaced in the contents of the book.

DAP Youth deputy chief Chong Chieng Jen, also Bandar Kuching MP, pointed out that the textbook claims that the "Federal Constitution prohibits the preaching of any other religion except Islam to non-Muslims" under the chapter "Freedom of religion and Islam Hadhari ' .

"They have even distorted the Federal Constitution, which actually states that it is prohibited to preach any religion other than Islam to Muslims. This is totally different from what is written in the textbook," he told a press conference held at the Parliament lobby.

He asked if the false statement was made intentionally to distort the truth or was inadvertent as a result of "unprofessional translation" of the clause in the Federal Constitution.

Chong has moved an emergency motion seek to debate the matter in the House tomorrow.

Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Tanjong), who was also present, described the statement quoted as an attempt to "rewrite the constitution", noting that this is tantamount to sedition.

Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) said she would bring up the matter to the parliamentary select committee on national unity, of which she is a member.