DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has challenged Umno and their agents to pore over his speeches and statements made over the past 51 years and produce evidence that he was "anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers".

At a speech in Raub last night, Lim said all his statements and speeches were public record and he had never "operated underground".

"I do not think there is another political leader in Malaysia who had been so demonized in the past half a century, maligned and defamed as anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers.

"I have written and spoken almost daily in the past 51 years of my political struggle for an united, democratic and most just Malaysia, and every word is on public record," said Lim.

Lim estimated that he would have spoken or written some 10 million words in his political life and yet none of his detractors had managed to find any evidence he was "anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers".

"My challenge to UMNO leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers to produce evidence from the more than 10 million words I had spoken or written in the past 51 years to prove that I am anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers still stands.

"They are welcomed to comb through what I had said or written in the past 51 years, including the rooms of records of my statements, books, tapes and videos with the Special Branch, to produce proof that I am anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers," he said.

He said that over the past few years, the most common allegation that was thrown at him was that he was the cause of the May 13 riots in Kuala Lumpur and that he was a "communist".

Accept Malaysia's heritage

These allegations began soon after the 2008 general election which saw DAP making unprecedented gains in the polls.

He noted that the Umno leadership under Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak Hussien, Hussein Onn and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had access to Special Branch information, never made such allegations before.

"If I had been the cause of the May 13 riots or was a communist, the Special Branch would have been utterly incompetent... to allow me to operate for half a century when the Internal Security Act (ISA) would be easy weapon against...

"I had been detained twice under the ISA, the first time after the May elections in 1969 and the second time during Operasi Lalang in 1987, but I had never been detained because of the May 13 riots or because I was a communist.

"In fact, I was not even in Kuala Lumpur during the tragic days of May 13, 1969," said Lim.

Lim said he believed that those who are anti-Malay, anti-Islam or are anti-Chinese or anti-Indian could not be a genuine Malaysian, as such people would be rejecting Malaysia's multi-cultural and multi-religious heritage.

"I urge Umno leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers to stop their gutter-politics of lies, falsehood, fake news and hatred if they really love Malaysia, for the degeneration of Malaysian politics to the gutter level is to take Malaysian nation-building to the cleaners as well!

"We can differ, however strongly or vociferously, about what is best for Malaysia but let us not take leave of decency, truth, honesty and honour, or we risk condemning Malaysia to the fate of a failed and rogue state," he said.