He was lambasted for such a suggestion by Lim Kit Siang of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), denouncing such a view as "extremist and chauvinistic."
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Suhaimi, along with other big political names from the media-labelled Team B such as Datuk Rais Yatim, Datuk Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin, Datuk Manan Othman, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, Datin Paduka Rahmah Othman and Marina Yusof, defected to Semangat 46.