An opposition party has called on the government to defuse the Suqiu-GPMS controversy by invoking Article 130 of the Federal Constitution.

Article 130 reads: "The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may refer to the Federal Court for its opinion any questions as to the effect of any provision of this Constitution which has arisen or appears to him likely to arise, and the Federal Court shall pronounce in open court its opinion on any question so referred to it."

DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang in a statement today advised the government to refer Suqiu (Malaysian Chinese Organisations' Election Appeal Committee) to the Federal Court for advisory opinion as to whether they challenged sensitive and constitutionally-entrenched issues, such as Malay special rights.

"The proper place to decide whether the controversial Suqiu appeals contravene the constitutionally entrenched issues would be the courts," said Lim.

Lim said that Umno Youth had lodged police reports against Suqiu for offences against the Sedition Act and one option would be for the Attorney-General or the courts to decide whether the Sedition Act had indeed been violated.

If Suqiu had violated the Sedition Act, then the Cabinet and all its Ministers would have similarly violated the Sedition Act as they had "accepted in principle" the Suqiu appeals in September last year, he added.

Suqiu's 17-point appeal, including one to abolish the Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra distiction, has recently become embroiled in much controversy and debate, with GPMS (Federation of Peninsular Malay Students) countering with a 100-point demand.

Umno Youth also reacted by demonstrating outside the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in his Merdeka Day speech likened the group's action to "communists in the past" and the Al-Ma'unah, a stand he reiterated in Parliament recently.

Dark cloud

Suqiu's refusal to withdraw their appeal incurred the wrath of the GPMS who threatened to stage a 100,000 people rally and publicise their 100-point demand nation-wide.

Umno Youth had since suggested a meeting with Suqiu to defuse the controversy, a call which Suqiu welcomed.

Lim said that the exploitation of the Suqiu-GPMS controversy has cast a dark cloud over the coming month of Malaysian festivities and holidays.

He added this haunted Malaysians with the question as to whether attempts to escalate ethnic tensions would succeed.

He suggested that there may be another Operasi Lalang and even a declaration of emergency arising from this artificial political crisis.

For the second time in four days, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called for a "cooling-off", warning of "instigation" by certain elements to "aggravate the situation and cause tension in the country" over the appeals, said Lim.

He added that de facto Law Minister Rais Yatim said that the Cabinet had issued a directive at its meeting on Wednesday imposing a blanket ban on comments or responses on sensitive issues, affecting even Ministers and society leaders.

"But the government does not seem to be serious or decisive in defusing the controversy. Despite the statements by Abdullah and Rais, controversial statements continued to be made by GPMS, which declared its refusal 'to bow to calls to end the controversy'and Umno Ministers and leaders continued to make statements to aggravate the situation," said Lim.