Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi today (Nov 15, 2006)vowed stern action against those trying to incite racial tension between majority Muslims and ethnic Chinese and Indians or "question the status" of Islam.

"Their agenda is to see Malaysia torn apart, for us to fail as a multiracial, multi-religious nation. This is not Islam," Abdullah said in his keynote speech to the ruling United Malays National Organisation's (UMNO) annual congress which began here today.

Two MPs from India Mabel Rebello and Santosh Bagrodia are here to attend the UMNO meet.

"I promise you that I will take stern action against any group - Muslim or non-Muslim - that seeks to undermine this delicate balance by questioning the status of Islam or by inciting people based on bogus allegations and fictitious threats," Abdullah said.

Last week a rumor sparked by an SMS about a group of Muslims converting to christianity brought hundreds of Muslims to protest in front of the church. They later found that the SMS was a rumour and that 98 Indian-origin children were taking their communion. A majority of Malaysia's population are Muslim Malays while the rest are ethnic Indians and Chinese. The Indians are mostly Hindus.

Stressing that he was in control of the administration, Abdullah noted that some members of the government and the party 'feel nervous' and thought that the premier had lost control after allegations by former premier Mahathir Mohammad against the current government and the media debates following that.