The 100-point demand by the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) is under embargo and is only for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's eyes at the moment.

GPMS President Shuhaimi Ibrahim said the demands will only be released to the public should Suqiu not retract its 17-point election appeal.

Some of the GPMS' 100-point demands were reported to have been presented to the prime minister last Wednesday.

Suqiu, an umbrella body of Chinese organisations, had submitted a 17-point appeal with 83 sub-points to the government just before the 1999 general elections.

Shuhaimi said that the 100-point demand prepared by GPMS is a retaliation to the demands by Suqiu, which he claimed have questioned the special rights given to the Malays as Bumiputras.

"This involves the rights and privileges of the Malays. Suqiu suggested the abolition of the quota system in the education institutions and make it a system based on meritocracy.

"The Malays are still way behind the Chinese in terms of economic achievements. Even though the New Economic Plan has been implemented for years, only 19 percent of property ownership belongs to the Malays.

"The number of professionals is still small and the Malays are still lagging behind," he said.

Shuhaimi stated that he agrees with MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik that it is not time to question the rights of the Malays as the Malays have yet to be achieve economic independence.

"There is still poverty among the Malays and there is still imbalance among the communities.

"Suqiu is still very arrogant even though the prime minister himself had advised them to retract its demands as the PM had said it challenges the social contract agreed upon by Malaysia."

Gathering

On the call by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that all parties stop the demands and appeals before a racial confrontation occurs, Shuhaimi said that GPMS respects the advice of the deputy prime minister.

"We will take his advice but it all depends on Suqiu. If Suqiu does not retract its appeals, we will continue with our demands."

Shuhaimi said that there will be no problem gathering 100,000 Malays to show support to the demands by GPMS.

"Even if we do not get a permit from the police, we will hold the gathering at the stadium," said Shuhaimi, not saying which stadium he is referring to.

To the fact that even some Malays had supported the appeals made by Suqiu, regarding them as reasonable, Shuhaimi said, "I do not know what type of Malays these are.

"Suqiu have questioned our rights and they have not agreed on the Vision Schools. Actually we never started out as racist. They (Suqiu) started it."