In a speech to party leaders in Pekan Nenas, Pontian in Johor, Lim said DAP needed to be protected from “external forces” which he claimed were trying to split the party.

“This call from Pekan Nenas is particularly meaningful because this ‘pineapple town’ was one of two state constituencies in Tanjung Piai. At the end of 2019, the PH candidate was given a thrashing in the Tanjung Piai by-election,” he said.

Lim said PH had deviated from a moderate position during its 22 months in power, giving in to politics of race and religion, causing the former government to fall out of favour with both Malays and non-Malays.

He added that this was proven by the coalition’s heavy loss in Tanjung Piai.

“There is a need to review the modus operandi of PH and the component parties. The PH parties and leaders must develop a PH mindset and approach to the nation’s problems.

“PH must return to the moderate centre and not compete with the advocates of hate and intolerance who are in the politics of race and religion,” he said.

Yesterday, Lim said DAP had been the most united party with none of its 42 elected MPs leaving the party since the last general election (GE14). However, he added, recent events told a “different story” about the party’s state.

“We are in politics, not for ourselves, but for the nation and for the sake of our children and grandchildren,” he said.

He was alluding to the debate within the party after its Sungai Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu said the party should not become “less Chinese” in the pursuit of its Malaysian dream.