Responses to the controversial ethnic relations book polarised between calls to retain the course with revisions to the book to those who advocated the outright scrapping of the syllabus.

Dr Lim Teck Ghee, Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli)

The Centre for Public Policy Studies cautions against political overkill in relation to the outcry over the ethnic relations course being introduced to public higher education institutes.

The centre notes that the initial planning of the course appears to have been carried out with exemplary due diligence conducted to elicit feedback and inputs from academicians, experts and community organisations. Whilst similar due diligence seems to have been lacking or missing in the preparation of the final UPM guidebook resulting in factual inaccuracies and unacceptable political bias - there is no justification for throwing the baby out with the bathwater....

We hope that the two relevant ministries - the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education can learn proper lessons from this outcry to put into place a system of ensuring that the content of key curricula and courses taught in the schools and universities is historically accurate, fully reflective of the evolution of the multi-racial character of the country and devoid of propagandistic content or narrow analyses that can only distort what has really taken place in the country's history and development.

Dr Lee Boon Chye, Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president

The party protests the government's attempts to determine the understanding of the country's historical development through the mandatory curriculum of ethnic relations and urges the Ministry of Higher Education to scrap the whole course syllabus, instead of merely modifying its contents...

The party also believes that the abolition of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) is the best solution to resolving racial polarisation on campus. Without restrictions to expression and assembly, students would be able to know one another and interact more thoroughly without being limited by racial sentiments.

(UUCA) prevents open discussions on course syllabus such as ethnic relations that will be introduced in all institutions of higher learning, to the extent that students will eventually accept the ruling government's understanding of history...As such, the government should accept the reality of different understandings and positions existing in a pluralistic society such as this, and cancel the course syllabus...

Karpal Singh, DAP national chairperson

Blaming DAP for the racial riots on May 13, 1969 is not only not factual, but is also clearly seditious...

It is wrong for Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed to insist that the government stood by its stand that the incidents listed in the guide were correct.

In view of the seriousness of the matter, I call upon the Inspector-General of Police to direct one of his officers to lodge a police report.

Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader

It is the height of irresponsibility on Mustapa's part to try and minimise the gravity of the issue by claiming that it was only a 'guidebook' ignoring the fact that it was sold to UPM students since the start of its semester this January for RM9 a copy, or RM6 for a photostated copy...

Is the post of higher education minister jinxed where the minister easily loses independent judgment, national perspective and sense of right and wrong causing enormous embarrassment to the government, prime minister and nation in international academic circles?

Mustapa should salvage his totally inept handling of the controversy before it is too late.