Faced with legal action by DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, former information minister Zainuddin Maidin is turning to another DAP veteran for help.

NONE In a blog posting today, Zainuddin said that this is because Lim's act of trying to gag him, a “freelance journalist”, goes against democracy and DAP chaiperson Karpal Singh ( right ) is a strong defender of democracy.

“If Lim sues me, then I plan to approach Karpal for his pro bono services, as I believe that he is a steadfast defender of democratic principles in all circumstances,” he said.

Ironically, Karpal is acting on behalf of Lim on the matter.

The letter of demand, served yesterday to Utusan Malaysia and former deputy minster Mohd Puad Zarkashi, pertains to claims that Lim had urinated on a flag pole in 1969, triggering the May 13 racial riots.

Responding to this, Zainuddin, a former group editor of Utusan Malaysia, said Lim had in fact “smeared (my) name”.

He said what he meant in his Sept 3 blog posting was that Lim had “accumulative” responsibility for the riots due to DAP leaders' “instigating, aggressive and provocative” speeches.

NONE This, he said, included calling for a Malaysian Malaysia, as “inherited by the People’s Action Party (PAP)”.

“This incited Malaysians and caused them to feel threatened and unsafe under the federal constitution. If Lim wants to see his speeches that I am referring to, I can show him as I have kept them,” Zainuddin said.

“All this led to the bloodshed of innocent people.”

'I'm just a freelance journo'

In his Sept 3 post, Zainuddin did not accuse Lim of urinating on a flag pole, but said that he had seen DAP supporters parading in trucks and crying out 'Melayu balik kampung!' (Malays go back home) in Malay-majority areas Kampung Baru and Kampung Datuk Keramat in Kuala Lumpur.

NONE “They carried and raised brooms. They dared to do so because Lim was too outspoken, and this made the Malays even more aggressive..,” he said in his blog posting about the film Tanda Putera.

A picture of Lim had been uploaded onto Tanda Putera's official Facebook page and was captioned to say that Lim had urinated on a flag pole at then Selangor Menteri Besar Harun Idris' home.

The filmmakers removed the picture and claimed that it was uploaded by a fan, while Lim had denied the accusation and said that he was in Malacca during the riots.

The film does, however, contain a scene of a group of Chinese youth urinating on the said flag pole, angering Malays, but the identity of the youths are obscured.

NONE Meanwhile, in his post today, Zainuddin said that by suing Utusan , Puad and himself, Lim ( left ) is acting just like PAP founder Lee Kuan Yew, who had sued Utusan and The Star to shut them up.

“This culture of threats and intimidation against the media and the people is now being imported by the DAP from Singapore.

“It is his call, if he truly feels that he can uphold justice through legal action, but people's perception cannot be changed by a lawsuit and nor can a victory at the courts change history,” he said.

He added that Lim's claim that the latter’s blog post was driven by the upcoming Umno polls “truly hurt him” as unlike Puad, he is no longer active in Umno and holds no post in the party or government.

“I am just trying to live a life of integrity as a freelance journalist, with the help of my pension and writing,” he said.