Malaysian finance minister Lim Guan Eng has attracted backlash after calling the unification of Malaysian political parties UMNO and PAS a declaration of war on non-Malays.

Lim's comment was first reported by Malaysiakini on March 6, according to Malaysian media The New Straits Times.

Lim also said the move signalled the end of the "1Malaysia" concept that had been championed by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

He was also quoted as saying:

"The flirtation between UMNO and PAS is over. Now they are targeting the non-Malays and non-Muslims under the banner of 'Malay unity'."

Subsequently, Malaysiakini updated its article with the following "Editor's Note":

"10.30pm - Lim corrected his earlier statement which originally used the words "declare war on non-Malays."

Backlash erupts over "war" comment

Lim's comment attracted backlash from the PAS and MCA.

Mahathir urged to fire him

According to The Star, PAS reacted by calling for current Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to sack Lim from the country's Cabinet.

"PAS... calls on Dr Mahathir to sack him from Cabinet before things turn worse."

The party's secretary-general, Takiyuddin Hassan, was also reported by The Star to have called Lim's statement harmful to Malaysian society:

"Dangerous to the harmony, unity and to all systems in this country."

Takiyuddin further urged Malaysians to lodge a police report against Lim and stated that Lim's comments was a reflection of the DAP, of which Lim is its secretary-general, as an anti-Malay and anti-Islam party.

Remarks slammed as "inflammatory"

The New Straits Times (NST) reported that Lim also came under fire from the MCA president, Wee Ka Siong.

Wee was quoted by NST as stating:

"Never before in Malaysia's history has a politician made an inflammatory statement like Lim Guan Eng, who said that the cooperation between UMNO and PAS is a declaration of war among the races".

Police report lodged

In another article, The Star reported that a police report was eventually lodged by the youth wings of UMNO, PAS, MCA, and MIC on March 7.

However, former Prime Minister Najib Razak expressed doubt that Lim would be charged or that he would apologise.

In a Facebook post put on March 7, as translated by The Star, Najib wrote:

"The chances for MU/Liverpool to win this year’s Champions League is far brighter compared to the police catching Lim or for Lim to apologise over his 'declaration of war' comment."

Lim brushes off criticism

Lim has since brushed off the criticism directed against him.

NST highlighted that Lim had expressed surprise at the attitude of the MCA towards the new state of relations between UMNO and PAS, adding that it was standard fare for MCA to only engage in attacking their political enemies such as the DAP.

"I am puzzled by MCA's silence when the government was attacked by Umno and PAS after providing allocations to Chinese schools."

The NST also reported Lim dismissing PAS' comments:

"And why PAS and Umno are silent when MCA attacked me after allocation was approved for religious schools and tahfiz."

Top image from Lim Guan Eng Facebook