An independent commission of inquiry must be formed to look into 'unanswered questions' as well as police behaviour in checking Malaysia's worst ethnic clashes since May 1969 at Kampung Medan and the surrounding areas, Barisan Alternatif (BA) leaders said today.

The leaders earlier visited victims of the clashes at the Universiti Malaya medical centre. Twenty-three victims are being treated at the hospital for slash wounds with one in critical condition at the hospital's intensive care unit.

The racial clashes at the Petaling Selatan squatter areas and its vicinity since last Thursday have resulted in the death of at least six persons and 52 injured - majority of them Indians. Hospital sources and family members, however, say that the death toll could be higher than six.

Police have arrested 190 people for various offences, including murder and rioting, since a neighbourhood quarrel escalated into a violent clashes between the area's Malay and Indian communities.

Outsider attacks

Keadilan leader Dr Chandra Muzaffar said a commission of inquiry was needed to look into the underlying causes and the factors that triggered off the racial riots.

"From what the victims told us, it appears that there are many unexplained and unanswered questions on what actually happened there," said Chandra.

Other BA leaders said that victims had lambasted the unprofessional attitude taken by the police force after they established a strong presence in the affected areas to control the situation.

Keadilan Youth leader N Gopalakrishnan said the victims had informed the BA leaders of the passive role played by the police in protecting them.

Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said that according to some of the victims, their attackers were outsiders and people not known to them.

Gopalakrishnan added: "Some of the victims also told us that their children were in the safe custody of their Malay neighbours. They claim outsiders were largely responsible for the attacks."

Waive fees

Azizah also commended the efforts by doctors in attending to the injured.

PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali, while urging the relatives to be calm, called upon the government not to impose any hospital fees on the victims of the clashes.

He hoped the government will agree to the BA leaders' proposal for a meeting to discuss ways on how to overcome the underlying root causes of racial tension at the Kampung Medan area.

Yesterday, the BA leaders had called for a meeting with the government as soon as possible to discuss the situation in Petaling Selatan. The leaders stressed that it was important to find ways to reduce the tension and that efforts be made to resolve all outstanding problems to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

PM cancels visit

DAP secretary general Kerk Kim Hock called upon the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to visit the victims as well as the affected areas without delay. Mahathir was to have visited the victims at the medical centre today morning but cancelled it at the last moment.

In a statement, PAS youth leader Mahfuz Omar said the tense situation at Petaling Selatan was a result of the government's race-oriented policies.

"The present race-oriented policies of the government will only create damage to national integration," he said.

Meanwhile police said that the number of arrests have increased to 190, including two for rumour-mongering. Selangor police chief Nik Ismail Nik Yusoff said that the police have banned all forms of public gatherings and speeches for the time being as a result of the incident.

Yesterday 148 people were brought to court for remand orders. Police said they were being investigated for a variety of offences including murder, which carries the death penalty here.