Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar today said that the 17-point election appeals made by the Malaysian Chinese Organisations Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) would unavoidably cause a reaction from other parties.

"Objectively, every action has a reaction. Every response has a counter response," he told reporters after presenting a speech at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.

The Suqiu controversy had caused certain parties to react to its appeals such as the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students or Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS) with its own 100 demands. ([#1]Rais' statement seditious, says PAS Chief[/#], 14 Dec)

"I believe that the first move that brought this into focus and into discussion is Suqiu. They must make the first step. Everything else will fall along. Let us not look at the response, let us look at the cause," he said.

Suqiu has been the centre of controversy with its 17-point election appeals that called for, among others, the abolishment of distinctions between Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra, resulting in Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad likening Suqiu and its leaders to communists of the past and the extremist Al-Ma'unah cult.

Utusan Malaysia reported last Thursday that GPMS president Suhaimi Ibrahim would be presenting its 100 demands to the Prime Minister as soon as possible.

Its demands include gazetting the prime minister position for only Malays, to raise the quota of intake for Malay students in local public universities to 70 percent, and in private universities and colleges to 60 percent, the issuance of passports only to Malaysians that understand Bahasa Melayu and that the Minister of Education be given the power to dissolve any school, including Chinese vernacular schools.

Outspoken

Meanwhile, in his speech entitled 'Malaysia in World Politics: The Challenges Ahead', Syed Hamid said that Malaysia stood out among the other countries of the world for being outspoken.

"Malaysia's diplomatic profile is aggressive and sometimes even borders on crusading. We believe that much of our interest coincides with that of other developing countries.

"Of course, Malaysia enjoys good relations with all countries except Israel and Yugoslavia," he added.

Malaysia does not recognise Israel for the regime's treatment of Palestinians and Yugoslavia for its treatment of refugees.

"Sometimes, I get questions from other countries on why Malaysia takes it upon itself to speak up against the injustices of the world when we should be taking care of ourselves first," Syed Hamid said.

During a question and answer session later, Syed Hamid was by asked by a member of the floor what he thought of the newly elected US president George W Bush.

"Malaysia views the new Bush administration confidently. Though Al Gore seemed more opinionated, Bush is more open to discussion," he said.

The relationship between the Malaysia and the US had been strained ever since Gore openly criticised the Malaysian government's treatment of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.