calling and war of words between party leaders were embarrassing and shameful as even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was prompted to call for a stop to the charade. "I am sure the delegates today, including myself, feel disappointed over some leaders' remarks made in the press, which is very shameful. It is not so much of Dr Lim and (former deputy president) Datuk Seri Kerk Choo Ting; it is the other members and party leaders who should be censored for their remarks, some being vicious and even ruthless," he said. Ong Khang Woon, of the Kuala Krai Division in Kelantan, asked the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka to review the meaning of the words "bangsa" and "kaum". He said the two words had different meanings but were often used together and caused confusion. He felt that the word "bangsa" should be used in reference to country of origin such as "bangsa Malaysia" (Malaysian nationality) while it was more apt to use "kaum" (community) in reference to the origin of an individual such as Malay, Chinese and Indian. "Malaysia comprises people of various communities (kaum) who should be referred to as one nationality (bangsa), one family," he said. Cheng Teng Woh of Batu Gajah called on all the communities in the country to co-operate and be united so that the country could compete internationally to promote brand Malaysia. "All the communities will be losers if we are not united and cannot compete with other countries," he said.
