Najib claimed Lim made the suggestion to Dr Mahathir ahead of GE14 as instigation to pit the Malays against each other. — Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has credited DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang for the formation of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia — the youngest component party in the ruling Pakatan Harapan chaired by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and headed by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) advisory council chairman claimed Lim made the suggestion to Dr Mahathir ahead of GE14 as instigation to pit the Malays against each other and cause their own downfall, Utusan Malaysia reported today on its website.

“I want to expose how the origins of this flower party. I have not told this story before, tonight I will disclose who it was that suggested the formation of Bersatu.

“I have met the person who was present in that meeting, that person today is now with us. He has come many times to see me and said the person who proposed the establishment of Bersatu is Lim Kit Siang.

“Lim Kit Siang’s sentence, ‘Tun, how about you from another new Malay party’. Meaning in DAP’s head, Kit Siang wants to topple the Umno and Barisan Nasional government, divide the Malays, exploit the Malays themselves and use Malays as a tool for the fall of Malays,” Najib was quoted as saying in his speech to Umno delegates at its division meeting in Pendang, Kedah last night.

The Malay daily reported the former prime minister whose BN coalition was defeated in the shock general election last year making the remark in response to the recent open by Dr Mahathir — who is now prime minister again — to Malay politicians to switch sides and join Bersatu.

The report did not mention if the person who supposedly made the disclosure to Najib was named or was present at the congress.

Najib pointed to the Election 2018 results as proof of his assertion.

“I can verify this is not an assumption, this has happened and the result was a 10 per cent reduction in votes for Umno, enough to defeat us in the last general election.

“That’s why today, it’s not that we want to join Bersatu, but we must strengthen Umno because this is the only party with PAS that will save our future,” he was quoted as saying further.

Malay Mail is contacting Lim for comment.