After two days of no-holds-barred of racial threats from party delegates, Umno top leaders appeal for Malays to respect minority races.

Senior leaders in the ruling Umno delivered the strong message on the final day of the party's annual gathering, saying the rights of all races in the country must be respected.

"There has to be respect for the individual religions and the sensitivities will have to be taken care. We are a multiracial country," said Sharizat Abdul Jalil, deputy chief of the powerful Umno's women's wing.

"The message is very strong. It is about tolerance and that is in the spirit of Islam," she told AFP .

Sharizat said while Malays were prepared to exercise tolerance of minority races, they (Malays) should not be taken advantage of.

"As a Muslim, it is incumbent upon us to respect other religions but at the same time we have to make sure that people do not take advantage of the tolerance shown by us," she said.

Rahimah Idris, a delegate from Johor, said those who incited racial tension in the country must be punished.

"Nobody should dare touch on our rights to practice religion freely. But those who create mischief and incite religious tension should be caught and put behind bars," she said.

"As for the text messages recently sent... just throw the person in jail, don't hesitate to do that. We will support the government's actions," she said.

SMS rumours

About 1,000 Malays protested outside a Roman Catholic church early this month in Perak, after some received text messages which said there would be a baptism ceremony involving Muslims.

Religious conversion is a thorny subject in majority-Muslim Malaysia, where Muslims are not allowed to convert, and proselytising of Muslims by other faiths is also prohibited.

Race relations in the multicultural nation have become increasingly strained recently amid a campaign for religious freedom by activists and a series of controversial court cases.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in July ordered a halt to public discussions and threatened penalties against anyone who inflamed emotions.

The government is extremely sensitive to the risk of conflict between the Muslim Malays, who make up some 60 percent of the population, and the large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

However, racial tensions have been simmering after a directive from an official with top Islamic insurer, who instructed Muslims not to extend holiday greetings to ethnic Indians.