KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 - DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has shot back at Umno vice president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for asking Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to explain his presence at the PKR congress.
"The favourite in the contest for Umno Deputy President and therefore Deputy Prime Minister-designate next March should be an example of inclusive thinking, greater openness and tolerance," Lim said.
Having resigned from the Cabinet recently and making several appearances at opposition functions since, the former de facto Law Minister's presence at the opposition party's congress has fuelled speculation that he is ready to cross over from Umno.
"Is 'loyalty to Umno' so brittle and fragile that it must be invoked against any Umno member for attending an opposition function?" Lim said in the Parliament lobby today.
Calling the International Trade and Industry Minister "exclusive, intolerant and petty-minded," he cited examples of bipartisan dialogue to attack Muhyiddin.
He said that he had attended the official opening of the Umno building at Putra World Trade Centre in the 80s and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz also attended a DAP seminar on First-World Parliament in May 2004.
"Was my loyalty to DAP ever in doubt for attending an Umno function? Why didn't 'loyalty to Umno become an issue when Nazri attended the DAP function in 2004?" the Ipoh Timur said to reporters here.
"If Muhyiddin is so swift in issuing an ultimatum to Zaid, will he be equally swift against Umno Seberang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, who was the Barisan Nasional candidate in the Permatang Pauh by-election, for saying he is at the crossroads between staying in Umno or joining Pakatan Rakyat because of 'blatant power abuses'?" Lim questioned further.
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