The Dewan Rakyat today rejected a bid to press the Malaysian Parliament ' ... to be in the forefront of Asean Parliaments' in addressing international concerns on Burma.

Deputy Speaker Dr Yusof Yacob turned down an emergency motion submitted by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) on the grounds that 'the issue was not urgent'.

Lim had sought to adjourn the House to allow a debate on Burma including its recent year-long extension of the country's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest. He pointed out the development raised the issue of the propriety of Burma taking the Asean chair in 2006.

He argued that since Malaysia currently chaired two international bodies - the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organisation of Islamic Conference, and will assume the chairmanship of Asean next year - the Malaysian Parliament should take the lead in shaping regional and international opinion on pressing concerns involving Burma.

These include to endorse United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call that Suu Kyi and other Burmese political detainees be released by the military junta and to call for a genuine tripartite political dialogue involving the junta, the pro-democracy movement and the ethnic nationalities.

"The timing of Suu Kyi's house arrest extension at the end of last week's Vientiane Asean Summit is an open slap in the face for Asean leaders and governments," said Lim in his motion.

"It reinforces grave doubts about Burma's commitment to democratisation and national reconciliation and raises the question of whether Burma should be allowed to take over the rotating chair of Asean in 2006," he said.

The opposition leader said it would be 'a great blow' to Asean if Burma were to allowed to assume the chair.

Dialogue boycott poser

Meanwhile, at a press conference later, Lim questioned why Malaysia had 'boycotted' the International Dialogue on Inter-faith Cooperation currently being held in Yogyarkarta, Indonesia.

The two-day conference, which began yesterday, coincides with a visit by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim to the province.

"I call on the foreign minister (Syed Hamid Albar) to explain why Malaysia has boycotted the two-day dialogue and whether this was because of Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Indonesia and his presence in Yogyakarta," Lim told reporters at the Parliament House's lobby.

The dialogue is organised by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry and the Australian Foreign Affairs Department. About 150 delegates from 13 countries are attending the event scheduled to be officiated by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The dialogue is aimed at helping to build a harmonious relationship among all followers of different faiths and religions in the region through the promoting of confidence and trust.

Lim expressed his shock over the absence of Malaysian delegates saying that he believed that the government had chosen ten delegates but put off the trip at the last minute.

"I see it as a boycott but it is up to Syed Hamid to explain whether they (the delegates) missed the plane and couldn't turn up last minute," the opposition leader said.

Minister 'shocked'

A Singapore Straits Times report quoted a Malaysian envoy from Jakarta as saying the Malaysian delegation could not come for the dialogue because 'of other engagements'.

A Reuters yesterday quoted an official with the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta as saying a '... a religious affairs attache from the Malaysian embassy is attending the conference and he left for Yogyakarta this morning'.

The Reuters report added: 'However, no other country has a delegation of less than five and even such relatively isolated and poor countries such as Laos and Papua New Guinea are represented at the meeting by nine and eight delegates respectively'.

Lim told malaysiakini later that he met Syed Hamid at the Parliament's lobby after his press conference and the Foreign Affairs minister had 'expressed shock' over Malaysia's absence at the dialogue and promised to find out the reason.

According to the opposition leader, Syed Hamid was also taken aback that the emergency motion on Burma was rejected as he had '... come fully prepared to the House today to speak on the matter'.