help to improve race relations, an Opposition MP charged yesterday.

The Criminal Code Amendment Act 1995 imposes a $5,000 fine or 12 month prison sentence on a person found guilty of such an offence.

Similarly, there is a $5,000 fine or 12 month prison term for anyone found guilty of racial intimidation.

The legislation, tabled in the House of Assembly on Friday by Human Affairs Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill, defines harassment as an assault, a telephone call, a trespass or damage to the victim's property.

Racial intimidation can include threats or actions based on the victim's race, colour or place of origin.

In either case it is enough to breach the proposed bill if a perpetrator's perception of the victim's race, colour or place of origin motivated the discriminatory act.

But Shadow Minister Ms Renee Webb said the bill was a watered down version of Mr. Dill's original intention.

The initial aim was to make racial discrimination a criminal offence so that institutions that practised racial discrimination will also be covered.

"This legislation does not embrace institutionalised racism,'' she said.

"Rather it deals with personal discrimination. Instead of addressing racial discrimination it talks about racial harassment and racial intimidation.

"It even addresses perceptions but this is very difficult to prove. To cut it short I'm not impressed. How does one prove that someone is racially harassing someone else? "It's just too wishy washy. I think that after the Minister received some opposition to making racial discrimination an offence he has come back with some watered down legislation to try to appease people but it doesn't go far enough.''