Kit Siang to Dr M: Apologise now, or be sued

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang is demanding former premier Dr Mahathir Mohammad apologise or face a lawsuit for suggesting that the former is out to incite racial hatred in Gelang Patah.

"Mahathir has another 24 hours to withdraw and apologise for his chauvinistic blog (posting) on Gelang Patah, making irresponsible and baseless attacks on my reputation and character  or face legal action for defamation for his lies and falsehoods," Lim said in a statement today.

This comes after Lim (left) yesterday demanded that Mahathir produce evidence to back his claim within 24 hours.

Mahathir, in a blog posting on April 11, had accused Lim of wanting to bring about conflict and antagonism between the races in Gelang Patah and to incite the Chinese to dislike and hate the Malays.

"When Kit Siang decided to contest in Chinese-majority Gelang Patah, it is because he wanted the Chinese there and in Johor to reject working together and sharing with the Malays," the once prime minister had said in the blog posting.

Lim described the allegations as "downright lies and falsehood".

"In fact, in my 47 years in politics, I had never been guilty of any one of these... charges by Mahathir as it goes against the very grain of my political beliefs...

"I have repeatedly said in Gelang Patah that I hope to win not just on Chinese votes alone, but on the votes of all the racial groups in the country," he said.

Dirty tactics

Lim said while dirty tactics were already being employed by BN against Pakatan Rakyat to defame them and inflame public sentiments, it was "shocking" that it was also perpetrated by their leaders.

"Why instead of restraining and stopping the political mercenaries and scums from resorting to the dirtiest tricks and stratagems to keep the GE13 as clean, free and fair as possible, he is polluting the campaign with his own lies and falsehoods.

"I expect an answer from Mahathir (right)," he said.

Already, Lim claimed "inflammatory leaflets" accusing him of being responsible for the May 13, 1969 racial riots were being distributed among the Malay community in Gelang Patah.

"I had answered these irresponsible allegations, lies and falsehoods both in parliament and outside, that I was never in Kuala Lumpur on May 11,12 and 13 of 1969.

"If I have just done one-tenth of the terrible things the Umno propagandists and cybertroopers are accusing me of on May 11, 12 and 13 of 1969... this would have become an issue in the past 44 years and not suddenly discovered in the past four years to be used to attack my  credibility and integrity," he said.

Aside from himself, Lim noted that other Pakatan leaders were also being targeted by "synthetic sex videos".

Mahathir had targeted Lim after the latter announced on March 18 that he would be contesting in the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency in Johor.