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Malaysiakini:

You're the extremist - Ronnie Liu and Ramasamy tell Mahathir

After being named by Dr Mahathir Mohamad as someone who is extreme in DAP, Ronnie Liu today alleged the former premier as trying to create a split in the party.

Liu, who is a DAP central committee member, raised a question over why the Pejuang pro-tem chairperson only named him and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, P Ramasamy as those regarded as extreme in DAP and not others.

"That is unfair. Like saying only Ramasamy and Ronnie who are extreme, nobody else is extreme (in DAP).

"Like Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang are not extreme. Only the two of us are.

"This is just Mahathir's way to destroy the relationship between me and the two Lims," he said this afternoon.

DAP central committee member Ronnie Liu

Malaysiakini had contacted Liu to get his response to a statement made by Mahathir during an interview on Wednesday, where the latter explained what he meant with his earlier remarks that DAP "sometimes extreme".

During the interview, Mahathir had named Liu and Ramasamy as two examples of DAP leaders whom he regarded as extreme.

Asked if he thought Kit Siang and Guan were also extreme, Mahathir said the father and son used to be but no longer are.

"He is trying to create conflict among DAP leaders. This is his intention (with the remarks). 'Busuk hati'," Liu said.

While Mahathir had not explained why he called Liu extreme, the Sungai Pelek assemblyperson believed it was because of his criticisms against the veteran politician, and for calling Mahathir to step down as a prime minister and hand over to Anwar Ibrahim when Pakatan Harapan was still in power.

kt notes: Ronnie, let's face it - you're an 'extremist' because you only support a Malay (Anwar) but not a Kerala Mamak, wakakaka

"I think he is still angry with me because I had supported Anwar. I asked him to hand over (to Anwar) but he didn't want to, so he is angry with me," Liu said.

Mahathir's remarks came days after Liu said DAP should not belittle or degrade its "Chineseness" just to gain Malay support.

The DAP veteran had responded to criticisms over the remark, by saying he was not a chauvinist and that critics were prejudiced against him.

Liu said today that Mahathir himself is an extreme person for wanting to abolish vernacular schools and replace them with one school system.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy

Meanwhile, Ramasamy in a statement said Mahathir's remarks proved that he had been doing the right thing.

"When Umno or former Umno leaders or members accuse the others as extremists, they have a particular frame of mind.

"If non-Malay leaders are not willing to play second fiddle to the race champions in Umno or the religious champions in PAS, they are labelled as extremists, anti-Malay, anti-Islam and so on.

"For Umno leaders like Mahathir, DAP Chinese or Indian leaders should behave like the sycophants in MCA, MIC or Gerakan.

kt notes: ... and even some DAP people, wakakaka

"Any attempt to redeem the image of their respective constituencies is looked upon as an act of rebellion, a deviation from the path of the obsequious sycophants," Ramasamy said.

He also blamed Mahathir for allegedly having caused religious and racial polarisation in the country during his first tenure as the prime minister.

"If an arch racist and bigot like Mahathir can stoop so low to call me and others as extremists, it really reflects on himself and what he really imagines for the future of this nation.

"As I have said earlier, it is rare honour and privilege for me to be labelled as an extremist.

"It merely goes to show that I will never kowtow to racists and religious bigots who intend to deprive Malaysians of their fundamental human rights," he said.