Tensions have risen between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's dominant United Malays National Organisation (Umno) and other parties representing minorities in the ruling coalition, amid complaints that government policies unfairly favour Malays, particularly involving economic benefits and religion.

Datuk Seri Abdullah insisted even though 'people say Umno likes to bully, there is no such thing as bullying.'

'It is a strategy of the opposition parties' to spread such claims to smear the government's image, Mr Abdullah said in a speech at the annual congress of the Malaysian Chinese Association, the second largest party in the National Front ruling coalition.

Ethnic Malays comprise about 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people. Minorities include large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, who are mainly Buddhists, Christians and Hindus.

The National Front suffered a stinging blow in March general elections when a multiracial opposition alliance made unprecedented gains, winning 82 seats in the 222-member Parliament by promising to treat all ethnic communities equally.

Some officials in ethnic minority parties in the National Front have alleged that they are sidelined in key decisions by Mr Abdullah's Malay party.

Mr Abdullah stressed that if such allegations were true, 'the other component parties would have left the (National Front) a long time ago.'

Nevertheless, Mr Ong Ka Ting, the Malaysian Chinese Association's outgoing president, said in a separate speech the National Front should try to regain public confidence through measures such as revamping affirmative action policies that benefit Malays. -- AP

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