Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin must be sincere in resolving the controversy he had created and should never repeat the remarks he made about Chinese Malaysians again, said MCA Youth chief Liow Tiong Lai today.

Liow quoted a Chinese saying which indicates that "the person who started the trouble should end it" in telling Khairy to show 'sincerity' in resolving the controversy.

"He should not repeat the same remarks. If he said he is misunderstood, tell us why he was misunderstood," said Liow after chairing a two-hour MCA Youth political bureau meeting at Parliament House today.

On Khairy's reported explanation that he has no intention to hurt the Chinese Malaysian community, Liow replied: "I am happy to hear that he said that."

But the MCA Youth chief appeared evasive when asked whether the party has accepted Khairy's explanation, saying that the matter should be resolved through the "highest leadership" within the Barisan Nasional Youth.

"I have been given the full mandate in today's meeting as MCA Youth chief to bring up this issue to Hishammuddin Hussein as the BN Youth chief and settle it at the highest level," he stressed.

Liow, meanwhile, denied there was a rift between him and his deputy Ling Hee Leong who was asked to explain in today's meeting on his (Ling's) meeting with Khairy two days ago without prior consent from the party.

Following the meeting, Ling issued a press statement clarifying that Khairy had no intention to hurt the feelings of the Chinese Malaysian community and that the two of them had agreed to "look forward to the greater interest of the nation".

Private meeting

However, MCA Youth secretary-general Dr Wee Ka Siong denied yesterday there was any consensus reached on the matter and described Ling-Khairy meeting as a private one.

Asked on Ling's explanation on his meeting with Khairy without prior consent from the party, Liow said, "He is the deputy chief and he has the right to meet anyone but MCA Youth will settle this issue together."

Ling did not speak to reporters today.

Khairy, who is Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son-in-law, had irked BN leaders when he told an Umno Youth meeting last Friday that the Chinese Malaysian community would take advantage of the current Umno infighting to make demands to advance their interests.

He was referring to the demands by the Malaysian Chinese Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) in 1999 and a memorandum purportedly submitted by MCA leaders to the premier early this year in relation to the Chinese community's rights.

Khairy's statement had elicited strong criticism from MCA and Gerakan leaders while Umno Youth chief Hishamuddin said it was up to Khairy to convince BN leaders that his remarks had been misunderstood as claimed.