Guan Eng slammed PKR's Zulkifli no different from Umno

Pakatan Rakyat faced its first internal crisis after only five months in power. The crisis might affect the cooperation between DAP and PKR. The deeper the crisis, the more different of the parties came into conflict with each other and finally collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today slammed his fellow Pakatan Rakyat MP Zulkifli Noordin for bad attitude, putting the latter in the same boat as arch-rival Umno.

"It is very disappointing for him, coming from a multiracial party like PKR to speak at this level," Lim told reporters at the Parliament lobby. "Sometimes we see these remarks are no different from Umno."

Zulkifli, in the doghouse for taking part in a rowdy protest against a recent Bar Council forum to discuss legal issues related to the conversion to Islam, got into more trouble with his opposition colleagues yesterday.

During a parliamentary session, the PKR MP for Kulim had accused Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam) of being a 'racist', claiming that she had tried to portray the Muslims who protested the Bar Council event as aggressive and irrational.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said Zulkifli should be aware that he represented PKR, a multiracial party unlike Umno which accepted only Malay and bumiputera members.

Lim reiterated that Chong was not a racist, otherwise she would not have received so much support from her Malay constituents during the March general election.

Nevertheless he added the DAP would not seek a reprimand from the House. Stressing Pakatan unity, Lim said his party would leave the matter with the PKR leadership.

"There is no point (bringing this up in the House) because I think PKR has taken their stand, and their stand is similar to ours. So there's no point for us to bring it up. Let PKR handle this matter."