The government today moved to cool a debate over privileges for its ethnic Malay majority triggered by a controversial report, saying it could spark tension in the multicultural nation.

"We do not want to create conflict," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters. "We hope everyone will act responsibly as the implications are huge," he added.

Najib's comments followed the resignation yesterday of a prominent academic as the head of a think-tank after the government slammed its research showing Malays were much richer than had been thought.

Malaysia has long said that bumiputera - Malays and other minority indigenous groups - are economically disadvantaged, and has set a 30 percent equity target for them.

The government says that bumiputera equity ownership is currently 18.9 percent, justifying an extensive positive discrimination policy giving them advantages in education and in the awarding of lucrative government contracts.

Fierce criticism

But the Centre for Public Policy Studies said in a February report to the government that bumiputera equity could already be as high as 45 percent.

It also said the decades-old policy of positive discrimination was possibly "misplaced", creating serious rifts among Malays and between the country's ethnic groups, and could jeopardise economic growth.

The research met with fierce criticism from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last week, prompting the resignation of the centre's director, Lim Teck Ghee, who said he stood by the findings.

Najib said government data had already made clear the issue of equity distribution in Malaysia, and warned against further disputes on the issue.

"Maybe at an early stage the conflict can be viewed as an intellectual discourse, but if it touches sensitive issues, it can incite ill feelings among certain races," he said.

The centre's research "may be seen as a way to incite these feelings although it may not be meant to be that way," he added.

Cabinet accepts Asli's 'apology'

Meanwhile, China Press reported that the government has accepted the 'apology' from Asli.

The Chinese daily quoted Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar as saying that the cabinet meeting today had discussed the Asli's report sent to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Syed Hamid said that the cabinet was satisfied with the explanation made by Asli and accepted its apology.