Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's past caught up with him in the Dewan Rakyat today as Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang took a stab at him over his keris-waving antics.

In a supplementary question, Lim asked Deputy Minister Noh Omar how the Education Ministry proposed to solve the issue of polarisation in secondary schools when the minister has proven to be the "greatest polariser".

There had been much disquiet in the non-Malay community when Hishammuddin unsheathed the keris, waved it and kissed it at the Umno Youth annual meeting last year, when calling for the revival of the New Economic Policy.

In 2005, he had similarly brandished the keris during the Umno general assembly in rallying members behind his call for Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy).

Badruddin Amirulddin (BN-Jerai) urged Lim to withdraw his statement and accused him of seeking political mileage by inciting racial sentiments.

Noh, who also urged Lim not to raise past issues in Parliament, saying: "Even the prime minister raised the 'keris' when he officiated a cultural event in Malacca.

"So there is no need for you to raise these kind of issues. We don't think that the public out there is interested in this anymore. How can we achieve racial harmony when the opposition are always harping on racial issues? If this goes on, the public will not vote for you."

Shahrir Samad (BN-Johor Bahru) stressed that the 'keris' is a symbol of fairness and not violence.

"The Malacca Bar Council uses the 'keris' in its symbol (so it) clearly (symbolises) fairness," he said, adding that the public would forget the incident involving Hishammuddin if the opposition stops harping on it.

Lim, who was dissatisfied with the explanation, insisted that Hishammuddin did not imply fairness when he raised the keris.

"He clearly meant something else," added Lim darkly.

In replying the main question during the Question session, Noh said the ministry is aware that polarisation exists in secondary schools and that it has policies to overcome the situation.

He also the ministry has conducted a study on racial integration in schools, especially secondary schools.

The findings, he added, show that students have positive attitude towards racial integration and that teachers could also help in instilling elements of integration in students.