Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who currently chairs the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and will lead the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) soon, should initiate an emergency session of the United Nations general assembly to discuss war in Iraq.

PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said Mahathir is the "most appropriate person" to demand for UN Resolution 377 to be activated.

"We believe that the Prime Minister, in his capacity as NAM chairperson and forthcoming OIC chairperson, is the best person to lead such a move.

"We do not think that he would shirk this important and historic role, because otherwise he would easily be viewed as being good o­nly for rhetoric," said Syed in a statement.

UN Resolution 377 empowers the general assembly to take collective action to restore international peace and security in the event that the UN security council fails to reach unanimity o­n a threat to peace, breach to peace or act of aggression.

The general assembly may convene an emergency meeting within 24 hours from the time a request is made, either by any seven members in the security council or by a majority of UN member countries.

Syed said it was reported that the United States had issued a threat warning against any call for the emergency session.

"With such a threat already made, there is more reason now for a united and concerted effort by NAM and OIC members to call immediately for an emergency session to discuss the US-led invasion of Iraq.

"The mad war is causing unnecessary deaths and destruction in Iraq and is threatening stability in the region as well as peace in the whole world," he said.

Anti-war concert

Meanwhile, over the weekend in Johor Baru, a group of eight individuals organised a concert in a shopping complex to protest against the US-led war in Iraq.

Spokesperson for the group, journalist Thing Siew Shuen said the concert featured two bands, a drama performed by students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), an orchestra comprising students from a Chinese independent school and a taiji show by scores of senior citizens.

She estimated that some 800 people who were shopping at the time paused to watch the concert.

"Pelangi Bhd, which provided us the venue for free, has contributed a lot to our effort," she said.

Since the war began two weeks ago, Pelangi Bhd had offered the group to use its two other shopping complexes in the state for the staging of the anti-war drama.

Thing said she and her seven friends a teacher, two post-graduate students, two sales representatives and an activist formed the group to spread the anti-war message without affiliation to any political party.

"We are a few independent-minded individuals who are trying to find an acceptable way to make people see that the war in Iraq is wrong and must be opposed," she said.