Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today called on Barisan Nasional (BN) parties to settle their grouses with Umno in the spirit of the ruling coalition.

He said every component party was free to air their views but the problems which arise from this must be resolved amicably.

"Normally, we settle these matters in the spirit of BN and look for consensus in the BN family," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

The deputy premier was asked to comment on Bukit Mertajam Umno division's call for Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Khoon to resign as chairperson of the Penang Water Authority (PWA) and return it to Umno.

Division chief Musa Sheikh Fadzir said the post belonged to Umno but was temporarily placed in the hands of the chief minister after PWA was corporatised in 1999.

According to him, PWA was not helping the Malays and this was reflected in the racial composition of its high ranking officials, where out of 15, only three were Malays.

Tensions brewing

Over the recent weeks, tensions have been brewing between Umno and other BN component parties.

Penang Umno Youth wings are pushing for the state chief minister's post to be rotated, much to the chagrin of Gerakan which has been ruling Penang for decades.

However, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ruled this out.

Recently, Abdullah's son-in-law and Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin came under fire when he warned that the minority Chinese community would take advantage of a weakened Umno to press for their rights.

Despite calls for an apology, Khairy has refused to do so.

"Many people say our criticism is too harsh, provocative and extreme, but this does not matter as we are upholding our religious dignity and pride. So why should I apologise?" asked the 31-year-old politician.

In another development, Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said the public should not judge Parliamentarians based on media reports regarding their Dewan Rakyat debates.

The former journalist turned politician said the media reports were selective and did not encompass the entire debate session.

"I know and understand because I was once involved in this field. The press reports interesting things to attract readers.

"It is very unfair to label parliamentarians as wasting time with trivial debates," said Zainuddin, who is also the Merbuk parliamentarian.