Five non-Muslim ministers met with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi this morning to explain their controversial memorandum to protect the religious rights of minority groups.

According to Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik, the meeting with Pak Lah was at the request of the ministers. It was held at 9am at the prime minister's official residence in Putrajaya.

The other four were MCA president Ong Ka Ting, his deputy Chan Kong Choy, vice-president Dr Chua Soi Lek and MIC president S Samy Vellu.

"This is a complex and sensitive issue which needed to be handled carefully. I will have further discussion with party leaders and issue a press statement latest by tomorrow morning," Lim said after chairing a four-hour-long Gerakan central committee meeting today.

"Don't ask me what advice was given by the PM, don't ask me what's in the memorandum and don't ask me what will be in my press statement, you (media) wait first," he told reporters before taking questions.

Media turns issue 'hangat'

Lim, who is also the energy, water and communications minister, said the meeting took place as the issue has turned 'heated'. He was asked why the meeting with the prime minister only took place today since the matter could have been discussed at Wednesday's cabinet meeting.

"You people (journalists) made it hangat (heated) so we thought it is better we discuss with the PM. This is the good thing about Pak Lah, when we ask for discussion on a Saturday morning, he was prepared to make time for us to see him and we are thankful."

Responding on Umno Youth's call for the memorandum to be retracted, Lim said: "You ask Umno Youth. I am not going to respond to anybody, I only listen to the advice of my PM, we now only listen to the advice to our PM because we have every respect for him."

The senior cabinet member also refused to elaborate what had mooted the memorandum - an unprecedented move - by merely saying that "your people (media) all write about it" and that the delegation had explained the reasons to the premier.

Asked on who headed the delegation, he jokingly replied: "There's no head, you thought I would admit it is headed by Ong Ka Ting or Samy Vellu? Or you think they will agree that I head the delegation. No way, we went together but who enter the PM's house first I don't remember."

The Gerakan president stressed that the signatories of the memorandum were serious about the matter and they would not want to create more misunderstanding on the religious rights of minority groups in the country.

Unusual development

Announcing his rejection on the amendment to Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution - the subject of the religious dispute - yesterday, the prime minister also noted that it was an unusual development within the government.

"I don't know why they acted this way. Perhaps they wanted to give a collective opinion. I would have preferred it if they had raised the matter during the meeting instead of submitting a memorandum to me," Abdullah had reportedly said.

He also confirmed that the memorandum was submitted to him by Ong on Wednesday. However Abdullah said he has not read the memorandum yet.

The memorandum were signed by all non-Muslim ministers except Tourism Minister Leo Michael Toyad who was overseas.

Apart from the five in the delegation, the rest who endorsed the memorandum were Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn, Plantation Enterprises and Commodities Minister Peter Chin and Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department, Bernard Dompok and Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The memorandum was the first major response from Barisan Nasional component parties since the public outcry which resulted from the controversy surrounding deceased Everest hero M Moorthy.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said in a statement this afternoon that he was seeking a meeting with the prime minister and called on BN leaders and parties not to create a synthetic political crisis over the issue.