Barisan Nasional's Chinese-based party leaders have been told by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at a meeting this morning to reach a consensus on the language issue before reverting to the government with their proposal.

The leaders refused to elaborate on the meeting but it is learnt that MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik has been given the mandate to resolve the issue among the parties.

The parties are caught in a bind between Chinese educationists who are against the move and the Umno leaders who have proposed to use English in the teaching of Science and Mathematics in all schools from next year.

The Chinese-based parties MCA, Gerakan, Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) met for the third time last week but failed to reach a consensus. They had asked for more time to decide on their stand, although Gerakan had publicly said it would not support the move.

People's Progressive Party president M Kayveas ( pic ) who was caught in a controversy for calling Gerakan to be suspended from BN, was among the leaders of the 15 component parties that attended the hour-long meeting today with Abdullah who is also the deputy chairperson of the ruling front.

"He (Abdullah) wanted Ling to handle it properly so that they could come back with the feedback (to the Cabinet) in order to progress from there," Kayveas told malaysiakini after the meeting.

Kayveas, who is also deputy housing and local government minister, said the leaders from the Chinese-based parties, as well as PPP, would meet over dinner this evening to discuss the matter.

No crisis claim

On his relationship with Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik since his controversial call, Kayveas claimed that no crisis has arisen out of it although they have different opinions on the issue.

"In fact, I sat next to Lim during the meeting," he said.

Reacting to Kayveas' call, Lim ( pic ) yesterday accused the senator of having a "hidden agenda" to kick Gerakan out of BN so that PPP could get their seats instead.

Lim also alleged that Kayveas had given "misleading" facts over Gerakan's stand.

Kayveas claimed that PPP has a large membership but the Perak-based party was not allocated any seats in the1999 general election.

No squabbling, please

In a related development, Umno Youth president Hishammuddin Hussein rapped Kayveas and Lim for squabbling in public over their disagreement on the issue.

"I am disappointed with Lim and Kayveas for making statements especially [Kayveas' remark] on the position of Gerakan in Barisan Nasional," he said to reporters after officiating an event in Kuala Lumpur.

Hishammuddin dismissed the call by Kayveas for Gerakan's suspension, saying that the party leaders should have tried to resolve their differing positions amicably so as not to jeopardise BN's future.