An Umno lawmaker has urged DAP to teach its leaders Bahasa Malaysia before asking Umno members to attend English classes.

Sekijang MP Anuar Manap said this is because numerous DAP leaders have a poor command of Bahasa Malaysia and use words that invite mockery.

He argued that as leaders born and raised in Malaysia, those in DAP should be fluent in the national language.

"We use the national language in Parliament, but it is a pity many DAP leaders are unable to speak it properly. Bahasa Malaysia should be the medium of communication and (serve as a bridge for) race relations.

"It is difficult to understand what they are saying, what more digesting their spins.

"Despite being leaders for so long, they appear not to have taken the effort to improve their command of the official language," he told Umno Online .

Anuar was responding to DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, who mocked those in Umno for their poor comprehension of English, which he claimed led to the misinterpretation of his speech.

He urged them to attend classes to hone their English skills.

Lim said this when accused of stating that ex-deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was his latest recruit for the Save Malaysia agenda, which prompted the latter to issue a denial.

The DAP leader claimed that his remarks were misunderstood.

Meanwhile, Anuar said DAP leaders must first look into the mirror before poking their noses into Umno's affairs.

"We don't deny that English is a second language which is important to attain an international level but we must give priority to our national language first," he added.

The Umno lawmaker said while DAP often portrayed itself as upholding the federal constitution, its leaders however are unable to master the national language.