KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — Putrajaya should distance itself from Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's call to boycott Chinese-owned businesses by reprimanding the minister and declaring in public that the government does not support racist policies, DAP MP Gobind Singh Deo said today.

The Puchong MP urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to lead the way by speaking up on the matter and state if his government endorses Ismail Sabri's controversial boycott proposal.

"As a Member of Parliament, I demand that the Prime Minister speak up and put things right," Gobind said in a statement here.

"He must reprimand his minister and reiterate that his government does not support racially tainted calls nor outright racism in their policies, which seems to be the case here."

Ismail Sabri said on Facebook yesterday that Malay consumers could assist the fight against profiteering by boycotting Chinese businesses, singling out the Old Town White Coffee franchise as an example of an “anti-Islamic” business that has links to Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham.

The minister attempted later, however, to fend off criticism by saying he was not criticising the entire ethnic community but just profiteering businesses.

The Cabinet minister also claimed the traders’ failure to lower prices despite a reduction in fuel costs was a form of sabotage intended to foment disaffection towards the government, which he said was wrongly blamed by consumers for rising cost of living.

“Yes, the statement was not directed at the entire Chinese race, but at Chinese distributors and traders who still refuse to reduce prices even though fuel prices have gone down,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Gobind, however, said Ismail Sabri had gone "wild" with his remarks.

"He must have very little in his head to have come up with a statement as irresponsible and senseless as that," he said, referring to Ismail Sabri.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday that Ismail Sabri’s statement will be recorded over the issue, stressing that the police will ensure that racial harmony is respected.