While waving a book on the May 13, 1969 racial riots, Umno's newly elected deputy chairperson Badruddin Amiruldin today warned that questioning Malay rights was akin to stirring a hornet's nest.

"Don't poke at this nest, for if it were disturbed, these hornets will strike and destroy the country," he said to a thunderous applause from delegates attending the party's 55th annual general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the founding of Umno in 1946 coincided with an agreement by the main three races whereby citizenship would be granted to the minority groups in return for their acceptance of Malay special priveleges.

"Fifty-eight years ago we had an agreement with the other races, in which we permitted them to 'menumpang' (temporarily reside) on this land. In the Federal Constitution, our rights as a race have been enshrined.

"Let no one from the other races ever question the rights of Malays on this land. Don't question the religion because this is my right on this land," said the fiery orator to another round of applause.

Badruddin, who is Umno's Jerai division head, was debating party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's policy speech.

In his speech yesterday, Abdullah said it was time to reform the Malay mind and make the race less dependent on government aid.

'Race of subsidies'

Meanwhile, Badruddin maintained that Umno should still focus on the Malay community as there were still Malays who were living in abject poverty.

"It has been 58 years since the founding of Umno, yet there are still those of my race who live on riverbanks, in poverty, wearing ragged clothes, bathing with water from wells. At the same time, there are those who are living luxuriously.

"Do we still want to see our fishermen languishing on the sea shores. Do you still want to see our farmers languishing on the fields waiting for our subsidies?" he said.

He also chided those who looked down on ordinary Malays and warned that those who insulted their origins would be questioned in the hereafter.

"Eventually, even we have begun to call our race the 'race of subsidies'. We humiliate our own race whereas they are of our own flesh, blood and brethren in religion.

"We will be questioned in the hereafter. Never humiliate your own race after being placed in positions of leadership. Pak Lah has said that we will raise the status of agriculture, for there lies the face of the Malay!" he told his audience.

Speaking on the same issue, a Pahang Umno representative told the assembly that the government should not deem it satisfactory that there was a larger portion of Malay professionals in the country's work force.

Head of Raub Umno division Shahiruddin Abdul Moin said in 1980, there were only 341 Malay doctors but this has increased to 5,356 by 2002.

He added that such numbers should not be a source of complacency as there was more that can and should be done.

"If we can give, we should give. If we can help we should help," he said.

The three-day Umno general assembly ends tomorrow.