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.