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Some 15,000 people waved the Malaysian flag and cheered 'Long live Datuk Seri' and 'Malaysia Boleh' when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was served with a sumptuous dessert during a Chinese winter solstice festival last night.

The event which took place at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, was organised by Lee Kim Yew, a business tycoon close to Mahathir. It was coordinated by the pemier's Chinese adviser Mathias Chang.

Political leaders including MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik and Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik, and other luminaries were appointed to honourary positions for the event's organising committee.

Mahathir made a grand entrance at about 9pm in a black Proton Perdana and was greeted by hundreds of traditional Chinese lion dancers.

Among the VIPs seated next to Mahathir were the president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) Lim Guan Teik and the president of the Federation of Malaysian Chinese Assembly Halls Chong Chin Shoong.

The duo are prominent figures in Chinese economic and social circles and the associations they head can help Mahathir strengthen ties with the community, a move which could prove crucial during the next general elections.

Besides the lion dance, guests were entertained by brass bands from Chinese schools which belted out a number of popular English and Chinese tunes. A group of senior citizens staged a martial art display while several disabled people performed a wheelchair dance.

Winter solstice or Dong-Zhi is celebrated by Chinese on the eighth day of the eleventh month of their lunar calendar and is an occasion for family members to reunite.

It is also customary to serve Tong-yuen , a dessert made of glutinous riceballs cooked in syrup, on that day.

'Our country'

Mahathir when addressing the crowd said: "This is Malaysia, this is your country, this is our country. Together, we will build this country until we become a fully developed country by the year 2020."

In the spirit of Dong-Zhi which is meant to promote gratefulness, the premier urged all Malaysians to do their part by resolving to work hard to maintain peace and harmony in the country.

Mahathir, who turned 76 on Wednesday, said unlike certain countries which constantly witness fights among different races, Malaysia does not have "serious racial misunderstandings".

Malaysians are unique as they celebrate each other's festival, he said, adding, "I was happy when leaders from various religions came to my residence to break fast with Muslims during the Ramadan month."

He also thanked the organiser and the audience for giving him the opportunity to learn about Chinese culture.

"When we understand and respect each other more, our suspicion, fear and doubt are gone because we know what others are doing and this (religious or cultural practices) will be not be alien to us," he said.

Yesterday's event was the second organised by Chinese groups to pledge support for the premier.

The first was held in late August and saw Mahathir served with a rare semi-fermented tea originally served to Chinese emperors of the past.

Mahathir had said then the country was a partnership between all the races, and that the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, was different from the opposition Muslim party PAS which advocates the setting up of an Islamic state.

'Ungrateful' groups

The relationship between Mahathir and the Chinese community was not always cordial though observers noted that Chinese votes largely helped to secure the BN's two-thirds majority in the last general elections.

On the eve of the 1999 general elections, thousands of Chinese organisations endorsed an appeal to the government which called for a more just Malaysia.

Among the appeals were changes to affirmative action policies which favoured bumiputras, mostly Malays - the largest ethnic group which constitutes more than half of the country's 22 million population.

In his televised speech during National Day last year, Mahathir lambasted these groups as "ungrateful" and likened them to 'extremists and communists' of the nation's early days.

In a subsequent by-election in Lunas, Kedah, this state seat which was originally won by BN fell into the hands of Keadilan, an opposition party led by jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim's wife.

The constituency had a total of 26,746 voters, 9,896 of which were Chinese electorates who had previously voted for BN.

Islamic state

Just as the relationship between Mahathir and the Chinese was showing progress, the prime minister shocked the nation on Sept 29 by declaring that Malaysia is already an Islamic state, a concept which BN had earlier opposed.

The non-Muslim component parties in the coalition have since gone on roadshows to explain to their members how the declaration will not alter their constitutional rights.

The fear and confusion which surfaced within the Chinese community escalated when a survey published last month showed that their population had dropped to 25 percent compared to 32 percent a decade ago.

However, government officials have assured minority ethnic groups repeatedly that their freedom and rights will remain protected.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in a recent interview with Chinese dailies, said the Islamic state declaration was meant more for the Malays, not the Chinese.