Lim Kit Siang has lambasted a DAP firebrand over his choice of words during a speech in the run-up to the Sarawak state election last week.

However, the DAP veteran denied the remarks were racist as alleged by Hew Kuan Yau’s critics.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Lim argued that racist statements were against DAP’s principles, and Hew would have used the same analogy regardless of race.

“But the language, which he used against the corrupt regardless of race, is crude, vulgar and insensitive which I do not approve of.

“Hew should rise above such ‘gutter’ language and stop such crude and vulgar lingo,” he said.

Lim also recounted how his son, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, had landed in prison for defending the honour and welfare of an underage Malay girl in 1998.

Asked if action would be taken against Hew, the DAP veteran declined to answer.

Hew, who is known as ‘superman’ among his supporters, courted flak over his Mandarin-language speech urging voters to back DAP candidate for the Batu Kitang seat Abdul Aziz Isa.

In the speech, telecast via Skype, Hew said Abdul Aziz should be elected to the state assembly so that he could “screw the Malays, that are big politicians who are corrupt, screw pok kai Parti Bersatu Bumipuera. This is the most interesting scene. Those who agree, please clap.”

These remarks drew flak from both MCA and Gerakan.

However, Hew argued that he would not have asked the voters to back a Malay candidate if he was racist.