DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad were at loggerheads for decades before the two became comrades in arms last year.

But even when the two were bitter foes, Lim said he had never called the former premier 'mahafiraun' (great pharoah) or 'mahazalim' (most cruel).

"It is public record that Mahathir and I had many great differences during his 22 years as prime minister, and (my son) Lim Guan Eng and I became 'guests of His Majesty’s government' during his premiership in the Ops Lalang dragnet nearly 30 years ago...