The 'consensus' reached between Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin and MCA counterpart Ling Hee Leong at a meeting yesterday does not represent MCA Youth's stand.

"It was a private meeting between them as friends. The matter should be sorted out through the proper channel, which is Barisan Nasional Youth," said MCA Youth secretary-general Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby today, he conceded that there was "nothing wrong" for the duo to meet to discuss the matter.

"(But Khairy) cannot just find someone (Hee Leong) who accepts his explanation and then take it as the end of the issue," he said.

Wee refused to comment on whether Hee Leong - the eldest son of former party president Dr Ling Liong Sik - was acting on his own, but said different individuals have different ways of resolving the row.

According to media reports today, Hee Leong ( right ) had clarified that Khairy ( left ) had no intention to hurt the feelings of the Chinese Malaysian community, and that the two of them had agreed to "look forward to the greater interest of the nation".

Khairy, who is Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son-in-law, had irked BN leaders when he told an Umno Youth meeting last Friday that the Chinese Malaysian community would take advantage of infighting to make demands to advance their interests.

He was referring to the demands by the Malaysian Chinese Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) in 1999 and a memorandum purportedly submitted by MCA leaders to the premier early this year in relation to the Chinese community's rights.

Khairy's statement had elicited strong criticism from MCA and Gerakan leaders while Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein said yesterday that it was up to Khairy to convince BN leaders that his remarks had been misunderstood as claimed.

Hot issue at meeting?

Elaborating, Wee suggested that the MCA Youth did not accept Khairy's explanation.

"Our chief Liow Tiong Lai ( photo ) has denied that MCA Youth agrees with the MIC Youth stand, which was to fully accept Khairy's explanation that his statement had been misinterpreted by the media and BN leaders," said Wee.

"There was no inconsistency in newspaper reports about what Khairy said and they (media) can't be fabricating the stories together. The media should reveal tape recordings of what Khairy said."

Asked what MCA Youth wants from Khairy, Wee said: "We want Khairy to understand that he must be responsible for his remarks, which are untrue."

He reiterated that the remarks had caused unhappiness in MCA Youth and that heated debate is expected on the issue at the wing's annual general meeting on Friday.

MCA and Gerakan leaders criticised Khairy's statement as "immature and uncalled for", and the issue was given prominent coverage by Chinese-language dailies last Sunday.

Khairy, in claiming that his statement was misinterpreted, said his remarks were aimed at uplifting the spirit of Umno and not to jeopardise the spirit of unity within BN.

Abdullah, when asked to comment, said any controversy could be settled through BN channels.