DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has initiated legal action against Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia after the daily resurrected claims that he urinated in front of the Selangor menteri besar's residence just before the 1969 racial riots.

Dr Puad Zarkashi Lim is also suing a former deputy minister, Mohd Puad Zarkashi ( left ) of Umno, for remarks he made to the daily, as well as former information minister Zainuddin Maidin who accused Lim of causing the May 13 riots in a blog posting.

"How can the former Umno deputy minister say, and Utusan Malaysia publish, such dastardly falsehood when this is a most irresponsible and downright lie?" Lim said in a statement today.

He was referring to Mohd Puad statement in the Utusan issue of Sept 7 that DAP's criticism of the film 'Tanda Putera' was merely to mask Lim's supposed insolent act of urinating in front of the menteri besar's residence.

The 'urination' controversy began last year when the Facebook page of 'Tanda Putera' posted a photograph of Lim and said he was arrested after urinating on the flagpole.

The photograph was later removed but the film preserved the urination scene, which was done by some youths.

Lim reiterated that such an incident had never taken place and that he was in Sabah when the 1969 race riots broke out.

'Letter of demand sent'

Meanwhile, when contacted, Lim's lawyer, Karpal Singh confirmed with Malaysiakini that the letters of demand were delivered to Utusan Malaysia and Mohd Puad today.

The letters demand that the article be withdrawn and an apology be issued within seven days as mitigation for damages.

"It must be clearly understood that this opportunity given to you to mitigate damages by retracting and apologising is absolutely and strictly without prejudice to our client commencing legal proceedings against you for the very serious damage done to his reputation," the letter reads.

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