Former minister Zainuddin Maidin, when criticising Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim for filing a police report against Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has made some very insidious and outrageous comments against the DAP, a legally constituted political party in the country.

When writing this piece, I wish to inform that I have no affiliation to any political party. I am merely stating the demerits and the follies of Zainuddin’s observations on Tunku Aziz, the Malays in general and the DAP.

To avoid misinterpretation and ambiguity, I reproduce below in quote what he was reported to have said.

(i) “Correct. But he [Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim] committed treason against the rulers when he was willing to be a lackey of a party which wants to abolish the rulers. But Mahathir is using DAP.”

(ii) “Tunku Aziz joining DAP had eroded the dignity of the Malays more compared to the allegation that Mahathir claimed the (Yang di-Pertuan) Agong is under house arrest.”

(iii) He [Zainuddin Maidin] added that Tunku Aziz should be arrested for “teaching” Mahathir to collaborate with DAP.

By implications and taking his statements ordinarily, I think Zainuddin has made grave accusations not just against Tunku Aziz and other Malays but also the DAP. Seriously, I do not know what game he was playing.  He was seemingly trying to ‘protect’ Dr Mahathir when his real attention was aimed at denigrating and disgracing the DAP and the Malays who join the party.

I think DAP should not leave all these allegations unchallenged. Malays, too, have freedom of association. By joining the DAP, they are not lackeys who have committed treason against the rulers. It is a serious accusation to put in writing that the DAP is a party that wants to abolish Malay monarchy. It would mean the party could exist all these years ultra vires the federal constitution.

Similarly, how could Tunku Aziz’s membership in DAP in the past erode the dignity of the Malays? How could one man’s action or political orientation affect the dignity of the whole community? Such an observation is an insult to the Malays and an aspersion to DAP.

It is debatable whether Tunku Aziz’s police report against Dr Mahathir is justified. But to imply that his past association with the DAP has taught Dr Mahathir to collaborate with DAP is naughty. Dr Mahathir needs no teacher and Tunku Aziz commits no arrestable offence. Since when is collaborating with DAP a felony?

I think it is Zainuddin Maidin that needs to be held accountable.