MCA took a swipe at DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng for cooking up news for cheap publicity by trying to provoke a Ling Liong Sik-Liow Tiong Lai spat.

Its publicity bureau chairman Chai Kim Sen said Lim was sensationalising news when he said the public was eager to see whether Liow would come to the aid of the party veteran who is facing a suit brought by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"It shows how low a politician like Lim could stoop to,” he said in a statement today.

Ling was sued by Najib for defamation in relation to Ling's remarks that Najib had taken public funds.

According to media report last week, Lim, the Penang chief minister, had asked if Liow has the courage to defend Ling, who is MCA life president.

If not, he added, DAP was willing to offer assistance if required.

Chai said Lim saw a golden opportunity to belittle Liow and hence his pretended support for Ling.

"It never once ring a bell to Lim that DAP had been criticising and condemning Ling for decades.

"Obviously, Lim's reputation had taken a heavy beating due to the recent dog-culling order, the withdrawal of multinational companies from Penang and even the marginalisation of his own party leaders.

"In order to do some damage control to his image, he had no choice but to divert away public attention by attempting to repackage himself as a saviour in the PM vs Ling case."