SG KANDIS POLLS | Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar turned the clock back to the reformasi era to remind Lokman Noor Adam of his roots in PKR.

The PKR vice-president also revisited the Umno supreme council member's detention under the now-defunct Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2001.

“I have known Lokman from the reformasi days when he was with us (in PKR). Lokman has forgotten who helped him when he was in deep trouble during 1998 and when caught under ISA.

“(He has forgotten) how we took care of his family and things like that,” he told a press conference (photo) in Putrajaya this morning.

It was during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's first tenure as prime minister that Lokman and several others, including PKR vice-president Tian Chua, were arrested for allegedly plotting to topple the government through violent means.

They were also accused of having procured weapons such as hand grenades and rocket launchers.

Jeyakumar was responding to Lokman's recent Facebook post questioning why an “LGBT dance” was allegedly performed at a fundraiser for Tabung Harapan.

The Kuala Langat MP also asked how such an allegation would assist Lokman in his campaign for the Sungai Kandis state seat.

“(This) shows clearly that Umno has lost in terms of issues, and they are playing on the issue of race, religion and now LGBT. How that plays into Sungai Kandis, I am not sure,” he said.

Lokman, a former PKR member, is the BN candidate for the Aug 4 Sungai Kandis by-election in Selangor.

He will be facing PKR's Zawawi Ahmad Mughni and independent candidate K Murthi.

The seat became vacant after the death of its former assemblyperson Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei from PKR.