Tunku Aziz Says Loyalty to His Country Caused DAP Rift

Proving to be something of a thorn in the side for the Democratic Action Party, the party's former Vice-Chairman said this week that it was his loyalty to his country that saw him fall out with DAP elders.

Speaking to John Teo of the New Straits Times, Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim was keen to set the record straight on his exit from the Pakatan component party in May 2012 following "irreconcilable differences."

He made it clear that the notion that he was against public demonstrations for clean and fair elections (a rumour he suggested was being incorrectly spread by certain parties to damage his reputation) was simply not true.

Tunku Aziz made it clear to Teo that there is a valid place for political discourse and demonstration in a modern and democratic Malaysia – but he would never endorse the breaking of laws to do so.

Recently, his former colleague and DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh threatened the former vice-president with yet another of the Opposition's ubiquitous lawsuits – something Tunku Aziz handled with aplomb.

"I am awaiting with great anticipation for Karpal to take me to court if he wishes to do so," Tunku Aziz said after Karpal called for him to stop embarrassing DAP with revelations of party failings.

"When I joined DAP, I did not sell away my soul. I have no obligation to them to protect any actions which I deem as a threat to peace and security."

It is something that DAP's more vocal online supporters (perhaps the mysterious Red Bean Army?) seem to have forgotten, with comments and written attacks against him becoming more venomous by the day.

These have recently taken a more disturbing turn. Last month, Tunku Aziz filed a police report after receiving a phone-call in which someone apparently made a threat on his life.

"I've been threatened with legal action before but this is a totally new threat. I fear for my life and the safety of my family," he said after filing the report at the district police headquarters.

"The person who called had a male voice. The conversation was very short. I asked him who he was and he said 'I kill you' and hung up."

Tunku Aziz said he believed the threat was politically motivated, based on the criticism against his former party.

As much as the DAP and its more hard-core supporters may wish that the former President of Transparency International (Malaysia) would disappear, he clearly has no intention of being bullied into the background.