Three Umno delegates to the party's recent general assembly who delivered racist-laced speeches which sparked off an outcry have been giving 'a stern warning', party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today.

"They have met with the party's management committee, which has asked for their explanation. They were then given a stern warning advising them to exercise more caution in the future and not to go overboard," he said.

Abdullah, who is also prime minister, was speaking to reporters after chairing a three-hour Umno supreme council meeting in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

The premier said out of the 22 delegates who spoke during the four-day assembly, only three had been hauled up.

They were Umno Youth exco member Azimi Daim, Perlis Umno state liaison committee representative Hashim Subuh and Melaka representative, Hasnoor Sidang Husin.

The three were among several delegates to the annual gathering which harshly asserted the economic and religious rights of the nation's majority Muslim Malays over those of its minorities - mostly Chinese and Indians.

'Incendiary, seditious'

Hashim in his speech to the delegates on the first day of the assembly had brought up the matter of a keris (Malay dagger) which had been unsheathed and kissed by Umno Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein Onn during the latter's opening speech.

"Hishamuddin has unsheathed the keris . He has waved it. He has kissed it. We ask now when he is going to use it," said Hashim.

Hasnoor, meanwhile, said that: "Umno is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion", while Azimi told the delegates "... when tension rises, the blood of the Malay warriors will run in our veins".

Abdullah, in his closing speech to the assembly, tried to placate the minority communities, saying Umno cared for all races.

The cabinet also said it would advise Umno not to televise its assembly proceedings live, which was done for the first time this year.

Several quarters, however, said the question over televising the assembly live detracted from what were racist comments from the ruling party.

"The insensitive, racist, incendiary and seditious speeches of the Umno general assemblies have also plunged the credibility and legitimacy of Umno discipline and integrity into question," parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said.

Asked by reporters today whether future Umno assemblies would be telecast live, Abdullah said the party would decide on the matter when the next assembly approached.

Mukhriz meeting

On Umno Youth accepting the apology from Mukhriz Mahathir over his controversial comments dismissing Abdullah's opening speech at the Umno assembly, Abdullah said the party had taken cognisance of the youth wing's decision.

"Umno Youth has give us an explanation and we take note of what they have decided," he said.

While other party leaders and ruling Barisan Nasional coalition partners had hailed Abdullah's speech, Mukhriz had said that the prime minister had not touched on anything new in his opening remarks.

Mukhriz, who is an Umno Youth exco member, said that Abdullah should take concrete action to curb corruption and not dish out mere rhetoric.

"We really hope he will take appropriate action and show to the rakyat that he is truly serious in his battle against corruption," he told reporters right after Abdullah had delivered his speech.

"We just talk, talk, talk. I feel that Umno members want action and not just talk," he added.

In accepting Mukhriz's explanation and apology yesterday, Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein Onn said that the wing would organise a meeting for Mukhriz to meet with Pak Lah.

Asked on this, Abdullah said: "We leave it to Umno Youth to arrange. If they need my cooperation, I don't have a problem".