The opposition Barisan Alternatif coalition has been substantially weakened by DAP's withdrawal and some of its leaders' "subsequent and often ill-advised and misinformed attacks" against its former allies, said a keen political observer.

Universiti Malaya's Prof Dr KS Jomo said the opposition pact's leaders made the mistake of allowing DAP and PAS to resolve their differences themselves before the breakup.

This, he said, turned out to be "a formula for disaster".

"The differences are real and serious, but not irresolvable if properly handled," he said in a recent interview with malaysiakini .

"But after the break, it will be difficult to rebuild trust, though perhaps Keadilan, PRM and the DAP elected representatives who campaigned for PAS in the recent by-elections can play leading roles in creating fresh conditions for renewed cooperation," he added.

DAP quit BA in September last year after failing to resolve the Islamic state issue with PAS.

Since then, DAP has been aggressively criticising PAS on its intention to set up an Islamic state. The crisis between the parties heightened when the PAS-led Terengganu government pushed ahead with the tabling of the controversial hudud bill despite protests from various quarters.

Recently, DAP has turned its sights on another BA component party Keadilan challenging its leaders to take a stand on the Islamic state and hudud laws.

Although DAP and the opposition coalition sometimes express the desire for a fresh working relationship, no tangible effort has been made by either party.

Renewed cooperation

Jomo, who has written a number of book on Malaysia's political economy, said the ruling Barisan Nasional's political gains over the last year should be sufficient motivation for renewed cooperation between DAP and BA.

"...DAP knows that, contrary to its hopes, it has failed to gain any significant ground by breaking with the BA," he said.

Jomo added that one of the most difficult issues preventing the DAP-BA cooperation will probably be the interpretation of the political trends in the last decade.

DAP maintains that it would have done much better in the 1999 election if not for its alliance with PAS through BA.

But Jomo said others have persuasively suggested that the DAP's decline in 1995 was due to declining support for the party because of internal problems and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's 'partial or limited liberalisations'.

"But after the bitter experience of last year's break, the DAP and PAS will have to demonstrate goodwill, for example, by disciplining its own leaders and to stop allowing the BN-controlled media to use them against the BA," said Jomo.

"Seeking cooperation through media declarations, no matter how sincere, is unlikely to succeed, especially with an unpredictable and sensationalist media with its own interests and priorities," he added.

Jomo said with an early election increasingly likely despite the mixed by-election results, BA and DAP leaders "will not be easily forgiven by the electorate for allowing personal egos, narrow party interests and ill-discipline" to get in the way of renewed and principled cooperation.

"The next few months will be decisive in determining whether BA leaders successfully rise to overcome the challenges they face together, or allow history to pass them by," he warned.