KUALA LUMPUR: PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution on Thursday, March 18, minced no words in lashing back at newly independent Bayan Baru member of parliament (MP) Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, calling the latter a Barisan Nasional (BN) "attack dog" and a liar.

Saifuddin (Machang-PKR) and several other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders held a press conference in the parliament's lobby to respond to Zahrain's allegations against the opposition coalition.

Zahrain had used his first speech as an independent MP on Wednesday to attack the opposition, claiming that he had been duped into believing that PR would form the federal government by Sept 16, 2008 through a series of defections shortly after the general election.

Saifuddin claimed that the "orchestration is clear" that BN now had "a team of hired soldiers" to attack the opposition, as evidenced in Zahrain's speech.

He also said Zahrain's performance in the Dewan Rakyat was "suddenly enhanced" after the latter quit PKR while accusing Zahrain of never participating in parliamentary debates in the last two years.

The PKR secretary-general also defended his party, maintaining that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR had never denied their "efforts and the Sept 16 deadline".

At a separate press conference, Zahrain shrugged off his former party colleague's words, saying "truth hurts".

"I am prepared to swear (that what I said is true) and I challenge them to swear that it is not true. They didn't deny what I said. They know all that. Truth hurts. Even if they want to deny, they can't," Zahrain said, adding that many PR representatives were unaware of the "story" behind the failed Sept 16.

Asked why he was suddenly so vocal, Zahrain quipped, "If I was vocal like that (when I was in PKR), there would have been chaos".

"As a party member, I toed the line. Now that I am out, I can talk lah... I was upset but I tolerated, I toed the party line," he said. Zahrain also said his duty now as an independent representative or a "third force" was to ensure that the rakyat was put in the "right perspective".

"The hope placed on Pakatan Rakyat is too high. Pakatan won because BN was weak, not because Pakatan Rakyat is 'terror'. People were very frustrated," he said.

Zahrain denied that his speech was made to upset PR members but his statements were meant to "expose" the matter to the rakyat.