The opposition today urged the government to convene an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and push members to contribute more towards tsunami relief efforts.

"It has not escaped notice of the world ... that oil-rich Gulf Arab states, home to millions of Asian workers, have so far pledged less than US$93 million to victims of the Asian tsunami disaster despite reaping six times as much in crude revenues daily," said Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

"This is not even two percent of the global pledges of tsunami aid which is now nearly US$4 billion," Lim, who heads the Democratic Action Party, said in a statement.

He slammed the "cold and indifferent attitudes" of oil-rich Gulf states.

For instance, Kuwait, which is running a US$10 billion budget surplus and recently distributed US$700 million to its citizens following a hike in oil price, only offered US$10 million in tsunami aid, he said.

"It originally offered one million dollars, then another million, and then raised it to the current amount after a local newspaper wrote that Kuwait apparently 'deserved its reputation of being cheap'," Lim said.

OIC chair

World's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia started with a pledge of US$10 million, equal to a donation by seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, before announcing this week it was tripling that amount and organising a telethon to raise more funds, he said.

"Added to Kuwait's US$10 million, Qatar's US$25 million and UAE's US$20 million, that took the total pledges by the four oil producers to US$85 million, compared to some US$500 million a day in oil revenues," he said.

Other OIC members who have made pledges are two million dollars each from Algeria, Bahrain and Libya, with Turkey committing US$1.25 million.

Lim urged Malaysia, as the current chair of OIC, to call an emergency meeting to raise up to US$2 billion from its oil-rich members to help in the post-tsunami rescue, recovery and reconstruction efforts.

The Dec 26 earthquake and giant waves that devastated many countries on the Indian Ocean have left more than 146,000 people dead and millions homeless.