Last week, Dr Mahathir Mohamad lamented how the owners of halls are closing their doors on him, fearing a backlash from the government.

This prompted a pro-Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak portal to mock the former premier, telling him to check with the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) if its venue is available.

Commenting on this, KLSCAH said Mahathir is more than welcome to use the hall to address Umno members or hold press conferences.

"He (Mahathir) is welcomed to rent a hall if he wants to. He can hold a press conference or give a speech.

"I don't think he would want to but we have no problems allowing him to rent a hall," KLSCAH secretary-general Ser Choon Ing told Malaysiakini .

It appears that Ser harbours no grudge with Mahathir, given that it was during the latter's tenure that Umno Youth, led by its then deputy chief Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, threatened to burn down the building in 2000.

Ser was then secretary of the Suqiu, or the Malaysian Chinese Organisation Election Appeals Committee, which was branded as communist and extremists by Mahathir over its 17 appeals for the 1999 general election.

Abdul Aziz ( photo ) had threatened to raze the building if an apology was not tendered over the appeals, endorsed by 2,000 Chinese organisations.

In a blog post last week, Mahathir had accused Najib of attempting to silence him following a climate of fear in Umno.

"I am not contesting for any posts (in Umno).

"But diligent efforts are made to keep me quiet, to prevent me from meeting Umno members and even the people," he said.

The KLSCAH was first set up in 1934 and has since grown from a centre to unite the different Chinese clans, to one which is now open to all races to hold their cultural and political discourses.

Asked whether other disgruntled Umno leaders can also use its venue to speak, Ser said KLSCAH is open to anybody who needed a space to rent.

"We have no problems with anybody. So long as they pay the rental…Of course they have to pay rental," he added.