While fighting an uphill battle against caretaker Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman in Gelang Patah, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was forced to put out fires in the party's backyard after several disgruntled DAP leaders decided to contest as Independents in the general election yesterday.

Lim today gave them their last chance to withdraw from the race and pledge their support to the party's candidates to avoid being sacked.

During a press conference this morning in Gelang Patah, Lim stressed that nobody is above the party.

"We should place the interest of public above self-interest.

"Sometimes after we become elected representatives, we tend to think that we can be elected without the support of the party... Without DAP, there would be no Lim Kit Siang; none are above the party," he said, reminding the leaders that they had been elected due to the people's support for the party.

Lim said grouses from those leaders should be dealt through internal channel after the general election.

"I call on those Independents who made the wrong decision to withdraw from the contest. If the Independents can quit, party leaders would reconsider the disciplinary action against them," he added.

NONE Several DAP leaders , including incumbent Teratai assemblyperson Jenice Lee ( right ) and incumbent Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him, filed their nomination papers yesterday to contest as Independents.

Lee is defending her state seat while Sim is contesting in Kota Melaka parliamentary seat under the party ticket and also contesting as an Independent for the Kota Laksamana state seat.

Sim argued that his move is to " save the party " and it is backed by Melaka DAP state leadership, which is known to be dissenting with the central leadership led by secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

DAP disciplinary committee chairperson Tan Kok Wai yesterday said that both Sim and Lee will be sacked, but Guan Eng noted that the party is willing to give Sim a chance if he changes his mind.

However, even if the Independents make an u-turn, under the new election regulations, they cannot withdraw from the contest and their names will still appear in the ballots.

'A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS'

On BN's campaign advertisement in today's Chinese newspapers that claimed "a vote for DAP is a vote for PAS", Lim said the message is exactly true as every vote for PAS, DAP or PKR is a vote for Pakatan Rakyat.

NONE "It is true that supporting PAS is also supporting DAP, but it is a lie to say that supporting DAP would (mean that the people would) have no entertainment, celebrities and others; this is not true," he stressed, while holding up a Chinese newspaper which featured the advertisement.

The full-page colour advertisement appeared in all mainstream Chinese dailies today, warning Chinese voters that supporting DAP will lead to the implementation of Islamic policies including the ban of female performers, cinemas, parties, entertainment and foreign celebrities.

However, the message at its bottom that read "vote wisely, one vote for DAP, one vote for PAS" has become a laughing stock within Pakatan supporters in cyberspace, saying that the advertisement is calling the electorate to vote for both DAP and PAS.