DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng warned of Pakatan Rakyat's demise should PKR lose the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat on polling day.

Lim said Permatang Pauh is where Anwar Ibrahim began his political career and if PKR loses the seat, “it is the beginning of the end of not only PKR but Pakatan Rakyat” as well.

“We cannot lose in Permatang Pauh. Just like BN. They cannot lose or have a lower majority in Rompin, Pahang,” the Penang chief minister said when met in Bukit Mertajam.

“There will be big implications at the national level and (the loss in Rompin) would also have implications on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak,” he added.

Najib, who is also BN and Umno president, is currently facing an intense leadership crisis within Umno while his party faces two by-elections.

Rompin voters go to the polls on May 5 while Permatang Pauh is on May 7.

The Rompin seat fell vacant when its MP Jamaluddin Jarjis, also Najib’s right-hand man, died recently in a tragic helicopter crash in Semenyih, Selangor.

Early voting for the Permatang Pauh seat is on May 3.

Lim was at the Institute Kemahiran Belia Negara, the constituency's nomination centre, to throw support behind PKR candidate and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“Whether we like it or not, whether we are willing to admit it or not, we cannot ignore the implications of this by-election,” he said.

Pakatan weaker following hudud crisis

Lim said Pakatan is weaker now compared to 2013.

This is especially so after DAP severed ties with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for tabling a private member's bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, to pave the way for hudud implementation in Kelantan.

This prompted PAS' Permatang Pauh division to threaten a boycott, demanding that Wan Azizah say sorry for the party’s non-endorsement of Hadi’s move.

During GE13, Anwar was still free, and managed to obtain 52 percent of the popular vote compared to BN’s, and having 85 MPs in parliament.

“In this poll period, we want to see whether we can revive and restore the previous Pakatan spirit in Permatang Pauh and Penang,” he added.

LIm said BN and Umno are putting in a lot of resources this time to seize the seat from PKR, which Anwar had held since 1982, when he was still an Umno man.

Wan Azizah is no stranger to Permatang Pauh as she held the seat from 1999 to 2008 when her spouse Anwar was in jail.

She resigned to make way for Anwar's return after he served a six-year jail sentence for abuse of power related to the first sodomy charge.

Lim said the  would be a 50-50 battle and we want to prove that first of all, the people reject the implementation of the six percent service good and services tax.

“We want the voice of Permatang Pauh to be heard so can we defend the rights of the people.

“We want people to come out and vote to send a loud and clear message that the people oppose the cruel persecution of Anwar,” he added.

Anwar is once again in jail, this time serving a five-year sentence in Sungai Buloh prison for the Sodomy II conviction.