PKR deputy president hopeful Zaid Ibrahim had many scratching their heads as he explained away what appeared to be a caustic remark against incumbent Syed Husin Ali.

NONE Denying that he called incumbent Syed Husin nyanyuk (senile), as reported by news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Zaid ( right ) said that the word he used was nyanyu .

Obscure and not in popular use, nyanyu is defined by the Kamus Dewan as bercakap yg bukan-bukan, meraban, merepek (speaking nonsense or talking gibberish).

"Maybe the reporter misheard me but what I had said was that he (Syed Husin) must be nyanyu ...I did not call him senile," he told FMT today.

Zaid said he was contacted by the portal's reporter for a response to a media interview with Syed Husin, in which the outgoing deputy president said the former lacked discipline.

syed husin book launch 091108 syed husin Syed Husin ( left )also questioned the PKR newbie's contribution in his role as Pakatan Rakyat coordinator.

Veiled jab

While the older politician did not mention names, his subsequent statement on micro-blogging site Twitter was seen as a veiled jab on Zaid.

In his tweet, he used popular Malay proverb ‘ siapa makan cili dia terasa pedasnya' (the person who knows his faults will feel the heat), enigmatically addressed to yang istimewa (special one).

Speaking to Malaysiakini later, fellow deputy president contender Azmin Ali was less reserved in his defence of the senior PKR leader.

"We cannot have new members offending senior leaders who have been tested in our struggle, unlike Zaid who does not understand the meaning of our struggle," he said.

"My advice to him is to look back at the Permatang Pauh declaration and understand its meaning. Don't be arrogant, don't act as if you know everything... stop the ego," he said, referring to party advisor Anwar Ibrahim's vision for Malaysia which he announced on Sept 12, 1998.