DAP has nothing to do with independent candidate Ng Chee Pang who is contesting in the Jan 28 Batu Talam by-election in Pahang, said party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

"DAP rejects claims by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that Ng is sponsored by DAP as it is completely false," he said in a statement today.

He explained that Ng was not a party member and his only link with DAP was through his father, DAP Pahang treasurer Ng Kwee Lin.

Yesterday, Najib said the opposition fielded Ng in order to gauge how much support Malay voters in the constituency would lend to a non-Bumiputera candidate.

Political walkover

Commenting further, Lim said DAP would not campaign or set up an operation centre in Batu Talam.

He added that DAP Pahang has also expressed full support for this decision.

"As it is uncertain as to whether the independent candidate will even retain his deposit, Barisan Nasional (BN) has obtained a political walkover," he said.

Ng, a 21-year-old trader, is facing Umno Raub deputy division chief Abdul Aziz Mat Kiram in a straight fight.

Both PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) have boycotted the by-election citing unresolved weaknesses in the Election Commission.

The state seat under the Raub parliamentary constituency fell vacant following the death of BN incumbent Tengku Paris Tengku Razlan on Dec 27 due to cancer.

Batu Talam has 10,525 registered voters, of whom 79 percent are Malays, 11 percent Chinese and 10 percent made up of Indian and Orang Asli voters.