KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's largest Chinese party came under pressure today from a fellow member of the ruling coalition to scrap its controversial takeover of two independent dailies.

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) should take heed of protests by the Chinese community over its takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press , said Lim Keng Yaik, primary industries minister and head of the Chinese-dominated Gerakan party.

The party and the MCA belong to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's ruling National Front.

Lim is the second cabinet minister to speak out against the deal promoted by transport minister and MCA president Ling Liong Sik.

Health Minister Chua Jui Meng, an MCA vice president, has said the takeover could lose the coalition crucial Chinese votes.

Lim said: "It is not for me to ask MCA to stop but as a Barisan Nasional (National Front) partner, I think they should take heed of what the Chinese community is saying and perhaps review the situation (bearing) in mind that they have to face the Chinese community in the next election."

The 230.12-million-ringgit (60.6-million-dollar) deal to buy the papers, which have a combined circulation of 400,000, has sparked strong criticism from Chinese groups who fear an erosion of press freedom.

The Chinese-language press has traditionally been more independent than its counterparts in other languages.

MCA president Ling, whose party already owns the largest English daily, The Star , has vowed not to interfere in editorial matters.

But Gerakan's Lim was sceptical.

"I have my fears. My party and I have had to deal with the attitude of

The Star for the past 10 years," he said, the Bernama news agency reported without elaborating.

Mahathir has said he would not get involved in what he called a business deal.

Ngan Ching Wen, who heads a coalition of Chinese groups fighting the takeover, hailed Lim's comments and urged the MCA not to "bulldoze its way through" the storm of protests.

He said Ling's pledge of non-interference was an "empty promise", noting that top management of the two papers had been asked to leave.

"We hope the PM (prime minister) will look into the matter for the sake of Barisan and allay the fears of the Chinese community. We don't want a party to monopolise the Chinese press," Ngan told AFP .

The coalition yesterday urged Chinese, who make up about a quarter of the population, to boycott the two papers and not to advertise in them unless the MCA withdrew from the deal.

It said the move was "disastrous and unacceptable" as it could adversely affect the promotion of Chinese culture and Chinese education.

Opposition Democratic Action Party chairman Lim Kit Siang urged the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia to hold a public hearing into what he called the threat to press freedom from the MCA move.