GEORGE TOWN, Sept 2 ― DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has called for all political leaders to end the culture of race-baiting by condemning any actions which can stoke racial discord.

The Gelang Patan MP also condemned the the incident where two Bersih 4 rally participants stomped on the picture of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

“This is not the political or civic culture we want to see in Malaysia,” he said in a press conference at the Penang DAP headquarters here today.

He reminded Malaysians that politics should not be about stepping on the photographs of political opponents but about policies and programmes for the political, economic, educational and social upliftment of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

“This is not a stand which I had only taken now, but which has always been my guiding principle in Malaysian politics which, in three months’ time on December 1, will mark my full 50 years of  political involvement,” he said, adding that he has never stepped on the photograph of any political leader.

He said DAP was unfairly blamed for the incident when the party had nothing to do with it.

He told the police not to practise double standards but to also act against Umno and pro-Umno elements who had breached the law in worse ways such as urinating, setting fire and splashing animal blood on pictures of opposition leaders.

On the Bersih 4 rally which went smoothly without major incidents, Lim said the police had acted in accordance to their role to ensure the peace.

“They should not stain that image by harassing Bersih organizers and other who attended the rally after the event,” he said.