The government should not insinuate and generate rumours that the fire which destroyed Dewan Tunku Canselor (DTC) in Universiti Malaya was a sabotage, said DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang today.

He said the government should make public all investigations on the fire and let the people decide the cause of the fire for themselves.

"After more than a month, the media reported that the investigation conducted by the Fire and Rescue Services Department showed that the fire was the result of an old and overloaded wiring system but now we have a minister refuting this," said Lim.

Lim was referring to deputy minister for housing and local government M Kayveas' statement yesterday that the June 29 blaze was a "sabotage".

Kayveas had said: "After the investigation and studies done by myself, (I conclude) it's a sabotage. It's very clear."

Lim said that Kayveas was rushing where "angels fear to tread" by making the claim even though he has yet to see a report from the Fire and Rescue Services Department.

"Although he has not seen the report, Kayveas has the temerity to pronounce on the cause of the DTC fire, probably believing that he has a last-resort excuse - that he was only giving his personal opinion!"

"He is way ahead not only of the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the entire Cabinet, but of the police, the Fire and Rescue Services Department and the Chemistry Department which had conducted separate investigations into the fire by arriving at the cause," added Lim.

Lim asked if the deputy minister was publicly declaring that he has no confidence in the Fire and Rescue Services Department which is directly under his ministry.

"Kayveas' outburst was the height of irresponsibility especially under the prevailing conditions when the authorities are on a witch-hunt to clamp down on student activists," said Lim.

The pre-dawn fire had led many Barisan Nasional leaders, including Mahathir, to speculate that it was the work of "militant students" who wanted to prevent the premier from attending a function at the university the next day.