He may claim to be former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad "enemy number one", but Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has no plans to start calling the Umno veteran names.

Least so to call Mahathir a "desperate man", as claimed in a purported news article making its rounds on the internet.

"I vehemently deny this article. I have never said this about Tun Dr Mahathir," Khairy said in a Facebook posting today.

Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief, said he plans to lodge a police report over the matter.

 

"In politics there are friends, there are enemies. We can't expect everyone to like or support us

 

"But while we have our enemies, we should consider how we participate in politics. Don't spew such slander. Don't play with such dirty politics," he said.

 

The image circulating online shows a purported article quoting Khairy as likening the former premier as a desperate man who has yet to fulfill his family's desires.

The source of the article pitting Khairy against Mahathir ( above ), has not been identified.

Khairy has always been reluctant to lock horns with Mahathir, even when the latter openly attacked him and his father-in-law, fifth prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.