Meetings called by Gerakan with Suqiu prior to the series of secret negotiations between the Chinese lobby group and Umno Youth were crucial to the final outcome, malaysiakini has learnt from reliable sources.

These meetings also relegated Suqiu to a subordinate position in the subsequent negotiations with Umno Youth, which culminated with a joint statement on Jan 5 announcing that Suqiu has "put aside" seven of its 83 sub-points considered "sensitive" relating to Malay special rights ([#1] Suqiu backs down; 'sensitive' points dropped from discussion [/#], Jan 5).

Before the negotiations between Suqiu and Umno Youth, Gerakan Youth chief Teng Chang Yeow arranged an informal meeting between Umno Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein and two Suqiu (Malaysian Chinese Organisations' Election Appeals) committee representatives.

The sources said that during the meeting, Hishammuddin had pressed for Suqiu to admit that it had touched on the special rights of the Malays and asked them not to raise the controversial issues again.

He also sought for a statement stating these two points be signed jointly by Suqiu and Umno Youth.

On Dec 24, Gerakan deputy president Kerk Choo Ting and Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon called Suqiu for a meeting to discuss Umno Youth's bid to resolve the controversy involving the "sensitive" points in the Chinese lobby group's 17-point election appeals.

At the same time, Hishammuddin telephoned one of the Suqiu's leaders, urging him to begin the negotiation as they were running out of time and that the matter was "urgent".

After all, a student body closely linked to Umno, the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS), had threatened to unleash a series of anti-Suqiu rallies beginning Jan 6 in Kuala Terengganu. (As events transpired later, the Kuala Terengganu rally was the only one held.)

Draft settlement

According to a source, Suqiu drafted a proposed settlement with Umno Youth with the "help" of Koh during its first meeting with Gerakan on Dec 26.

The draft was immediately sent to Umno Youth. The next day, Umno Youth sent back a counter proposal, which specifically spelt out the seven points to be retracted. It also asked for an apology from Suqiu for raising the "sensitive" points.

Suqiu rejected Umno Youth's proposal. An apology would have contradicted its stand.

"Suqiu objected to the (Umno Youth) draft because it cannot turn its back on its mission," said one of the sources.

In its second meeting with Gerakan on Dec 27, Suqiu nevertheless agreed to incorporate the seven points, deemed to be contentious, in its draft.

It was then agreed that the negotiations with Umno Youth would be coordinated by Gerakan and the framework for the negotiations would involve both parties expressing their respective stands and their points of agreement in a joint statement.

"After the Gerakan meeting, the negotiations came under the control of Gerakan and Umno Youth," said a source.

It was learnt that Gerakan had also indicated that they did not want two key Suqiu representatives, seen as hardliners, to be part of the Suqiu-UmnoYouth negotiations.

That suggestion was discussed at a subsequent Suqiu meeting and it resolved to reject Gerakan's proposal to exclude the two representatives.

Kerk not independent

The Umno Youth-Suqiu meetings were chaired by Gerakan's Kerk, a former Chinese educationist, alternating with Koh.

"In the first round of negotiations, Kerk showed he was not an independent mediator. Suqiu thought it should not have let him chair the meeting at all," a source said.

Indeed, Suqiu perceived Kerk to have exercised too much influence.

"In the negotiation process, Kerk helped (Umno Youth) put pressure on Suqiu. He said the controversy might trigger off a tense situation, and Suqiu would have to bear the responsibility," the source said.

At an internal meeting on Jan 1, Suqiu resolved that Kerk should cease from chairing the negotiations.

However, in its following meeting with Umno Youth, the negotiations lasted for over eight hours. With everyone too tired and stressed out, the Suqiu representatives did not press for Kerk to quit.

"Kerk carries the major responsibility of nudging Suqiu to 'put aside' the seven sub-points," said the source.

Before the final negotiations, Kerk called Suqiu leaders to impress on them that the situation was getting worse.

Kerk also asked for Suqiu head Quek Suan Hiang and other key leaders to attend the final meeting.

Suqiu had been thus far represented by a negotiation team headed by its secretary, Ser Choon Ing, a lawyer who is known to be a tough negotiator.

Approach with care

At the first negotiations on Dec 28, both parties offered their respective stands.

Penang Chief Minister Koh and Umno Youth requested both parties to keep mum on the negotiations as they were afraid that any disclosure would undermine the progress of the dialogue.

Umno Youth was represented by Umno supreme council member Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi, special officer of the deputy prime minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, and special assistant to Umno Youth chief, Ahmad Zaki Zahid, and two other Youth leaders.

At that meeting, Suqiu suggested that instead of retracting the seven controversial sub-points, a sentence be added stating that the controversial issues "be approached with care and due consideration to the sensitivities and feelings of all ethnic groups concerned".

However, Umno Youth felt that it was not good enough.

"Umno Youth insisted that Suqiu must retract (the seven sub-points), but Suqiu said 'no'. Suqiu said it would need to consult all the 2,000 organisations (that endorsed Suqiu's appeals)," said the source.

The source stated that Gerakan kept emphasising that Suqiu must settle the issue in the negotiations or face negative consequences. In addition, Koh kept reminding Suqiu that Umno Youth was pressed for time.

Various sources confirmed that during the negotiations Umno Youth reiterated, time and again, that they were liberal and moderate compared with the more extremist GPMS.

Suqiu representatives were told that if they did not support the forces of moderation, racial tension would result.

'Kept in abeyance'

In the second meeting with Umno Youth on Dec 31, Suqiu proposed the phrase "kept in abeyance" as a possible compromise.

Compared to other phrases such as to "retract", to "set aside" and "not to be questioned", the phrase "kept in abeyance" was chosen for its legal interpretation, said the source.

"The decision was made with good intentions and in good faith," the source added.

The suggestion of "the seven sub-points to be kept in abeyance" was rejected by Umno Youth at the third meeting.

After the seven hours of negotiations, some of the Suqiu members intended to call off the meetings as both parties did not see eye to eye.

Some members had even suggested that the negotiations be dragged on till after Jan 6, the day when GPMS was to kick off its rallies.

"Suqiu was not in a hurry to settle the issue before Jan 6; they can hold the dialogue for a longer period," said a source.

"However, after the leaders were bombarded by phone calls (from Gerakan and Umno Youth leaders), the idea to prolong the negotiations was not considered at all."

Eventually, Umno Youth proposed two possible alternatives to break the impasse. The first suggestion was that "the seven points be put aside and not raised in view of the prevailing ethnic tension and in the interest of racial harmony".

The second suggestion was "the above seven points be put aside and the special position of the Malays and the native of Sabah and Sarawak within the provision of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution not to be questioned".

Finally, the two parties agreed on a combination of the two proposals and it resulted in the following: "that the seven points be put aside in view of the prevailing ethnic tension and the special rights, position, privileges of the Malays and the natives of any of the states of Sarawak as enshrined in Article 153 and other such relevant articles of the Federal Constitution not be questioned."

During the last stage of the negotiations, a number of police officers visited several Suqiu leaders to put pressure - "nicely", said a source - on them.

According to the source, Suqiu leaders finally relented to a deal with Umno Youth because they were afraid that racial riots would break out after the GPMS rally.

Pawn in chess game

The source added that Suqiu knew that Umno was confronting a problem which it had created and they were worried that Umno would solve the problem by planting a "bomb" in the Chinese community, "... so in order to remove the 'bomb', Suqiu made the decision to resolve (the conditions for) the conflict.

"Suqiu did not understand Umno politics very well. However, it did not want to become a tool of Umno to be used against its enemies. Suqiu wanted to prevent itself from becoming the (sacrificial) pawn in a chess game," said another source.

One source conceded that some sections in the Chinese community did not agree with Suqiu's compromise as they felt that the organisation had given in to Umno Youth.

"Suqiu knew that it was a trap but after it took part (in the negotiations with Umno Youth), it was difficult to pull out. Suqiu had negotiated from a disadvantaged position," said the source.

'Turned over' by Umno Youth

"Suqiu had gone through worse situations, like it being compared with the communists, and the demonstration of Umno Youth in front of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, and hence it was psychologically well-prepared already. However, Suqiu was in a weak position in the negotiations, and time was not in its favour.

"Suqiu did not have time to consult other organisations' opinions," said the source. "The time was too short, and the resolving of the issue was like a 'turning over' of Suqiu by Umno Youth and Gerakan."

However, the source said it now appeared that Suqiu had made the wrong judgment in conceding to Umno Youth as it did not consult the people, non-governmental organisations and other parties which had endorsed its 17-point appeal.

"After the announcement of the joint statement, people couldn't understand why it was made. They said that there was no ethnic tension, and the 'putting aside' of the seven sub-points cannot be justified," said the source.

Three days after the joint statement by Suqiu and Umno Youth, 12 Chinese organisations held a press conference questioning the authority of Suqiu to "put aside" the seven sub-points without consulting the 2,095 organisations that had endorsed the 17-point appeal before the November 1999 general elections.

Group spokesperson Chew Chong Sin said the meetings between Suqiu and Umno Youth were not a dialogue since a third party, Gerakan, was present - to the disadvantage of the Chinese lobby group ([#2] 'Explain Gerakan involvement in Suqiu-Umno Youth talks' [/#], Jan 8).