“I wish to state that it was an error… as I am of the view that the Sedition Act ought to be abolished in line with my party’s stand and what is promised in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto,” he said in a statement today.

He said the Act is draconian and has outlived its purpose.

Last week, Hanif said he had thrown Lim Kit Siang into prison under the Internal Security Act in 1969 following the May 13 race riots as the DAP veteran had suggested that Peninsular Malaysia be split into two, “east coast for the Malays and the west coast for the Chinese”.

Lim called the claims “cock-and-bull stories” and instructed his lawyer, Ramkarpal, to file a defamation suit.

Today, Ramkarpal maintained that Hanif’s statement may be criminal in nature which can pit one class of society against another and urged the police to investigate him under the Penal Code.

“It would be most unfortunate and worrying to allow such statements to be made without fear of any penal consequences as it can affect racial harmony in this delicate society of ours which must be defended,” he said.