KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Umno is on the path to ruining itself courtesy of its collaboration with PAS, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today amid calls for the former ruling party’s deregistration.
The veteran lawmaker added that the government need not step in to hasten Umno’s demise but should instead “act magnanimously” and give the Opposition party time to fix its alleged wrongdoings.
“Let Umno self-destruct as the party is in an advanced stage of self-destruction as it seeks to launch a campaign for a klepto-theocracy with PAS,” he said in a statement.
The Iskandar Puteri MP recalled DAP’s five-year-problems between 2013 and 2018 with the threat of deregistration ahead of general elections during the Najib administration and said he did not wish the same on another party, even if it was a nemesis.
“Revenge and vendetta have no place in politics, and I do not wish on Umno leaders and members the ‘death sentence’ ordeal which DAP leaders and members had suffered for five years before the 14th General Election,” he said.
He emphasised that Malaysia is a democracy and voters should be able to support their parties of choice or otherwise.
Kit Siang is the second DAP MP to urge the government not to deregister Umno due to alleged irregularities in its party affairs.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng made the first call yesterday, in response to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's comment on why the relevant authorities have yet to investigate and take action against Umno.
Lip Eng warned that Umno supporters could manipulate the party’s deregistration into fodder to incite racial and religious tensions within multicultural Malaysia.
