Barisan Alternatif has set conditions for helping DAPs campaign in the upcoming Ketari by-election. Keadilan secretary-general Sahri Bahri said the party leaders decided after a three-hour BA presidential council meeting last night to send a subtle message to DAP for a formal letter asking for the opposition coalitions help.

Sahri said this was being done to absolve BA from any blame if the election outcome was negative for DAP.

If a formal request has been made, then we would sit and talk again. We would set some conditions for DAP.

We would say: Even though the DAP is no longer in the BA, we want to forge a political understanding. We want DAP to stop accusing the BA or any of its component party openly in public, Sahri told malaysiakini .

Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, when contacted today, did not want to comment when asked if she would lobby for DAP in Ketari.

It is better for me not to say anything, she said.

However, an official statement, signed by Wan Azizah, PAS president Fadzil Noor and PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali yesterday, endorsed the DAPs candidacy in Ketari.

The trio stated that the stand was taken in view of the oppositions effort to reject the Barisan Nasional.

They also urged the Ketari voters to vote for the DAP candidate, Choong Siew Onn.

No tit-for-tat

Even though the BA received many criticisms from DAP (in the Indera Kayangan by-election), we have decided not to [retaliate in the same way] in this by-election, said the statement.

On Wed, DAP said it had received a positive response from Keadilan and PAS to the idea of joining forces against BN for the by-election in Pahang, which falls on March 31.

DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock said although DAP is capable of handling Ketari on its own, opposition supporters would like to see the parties join hands.

The DAP leader added he has met with Fadzil and Wan Azizah to discuss the matter.

Kerk said his party welcomed the assistance of any political party, non-governmental organisation and civil society in the by-election.

The contest will see DAPs Choong take on Barisan Nasionals Yum Ah Ha.

The state seat fell vacant following the death of its representative, Loke Koon Kam of Gerakan.

DAP has been at loggerheads with BA over its coalition partner PAS insistence on setting up an Islamic state.

The unresolved issue forced DAP to leave the coalition, where PRM and Keadilan are the other two partners, last September.

In the Jan 19 Indera Kayangan by-election which pitted Keadilan with a BN candidate, DAP withdrew its support as the party did not want to be seen as supporting the Islamic state cause propagated by PAS.