DAP today said it will initiate legal action against the ruling Barisan Nasional if any development promises are made to the locals in the run-up to the Ketari state by-election in Pahang which will be held on March 31.

The partys deputy chairperson Karpal Singh said BN would be breaching the Election Offences Act if it made such pledges as this amounted to a corrupt practice under the act.

The Barisan Nasional should fight the by-election clean and fair. I am monitoring the position with a view to have legal action taken, he said in a statement.

Karpal also called upon the Election Commission to take note of the activities of the BN leaders who openly defy the law by making such pledges.

The police must also report any form of corrupt practices by these leaders with a view to prosecution, he said.

New Straits Times reported today that major projects, including a RM25 million water supply project, will be implemented in Ketari to ensure rapid development in the area.

District officer Mohd Saffian Ismail was quoted as saying the projects would be funded by an increased allocation under the Eighth Malaysian Plan.

He added that RM165.5 million has been allocated thus far for the development projects. This is an increase of almost RM110 million from the previous Malaysia plan.

The allocation indicates that the government is serious in carrying out development projects in the district, especially in the Ketari area, Mohd Saffian said.

No opposition pact

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock today denied allegations by Gerakan chief Dr Lim Keng Yaik that the opposition party was unprincipled and opportunistic in wanting the Alternative Front (BA) to help out in the by-election.

Yesterday, Lim, who is also the primary industries minister, was reported as saying that DAP was double dealing by coveting its former allies PAS, Keadilan and PRM to assist in Ketari while it (DAP) refused to render any assistance during the Indera Kayangan by-election in January.

In Indera Kayangan, DAP had refused to join forces with the BA on the grounds that it was no longer part of the front. The party left BA last September due to ideological differences over the Islamic state issue, especially with PAS.

Lim also said Ketari voters would not be easily influenced by the so-called 3+1 pact, referring to DAP and the three BA partners.

To this, Kerk said such a pact did not exist and that his party had not held any discussions with BA on that matter. He, however, said the party would welcome any assistance from BA to fight BN.

I also wish to inform Lim that DAP whether inside or outside BA, has never and will never compromise its founding principle to defend the democratic secularism of our nations constitution.

Kerk in turn labelled Gerakan as unprincipled and opportunistic for abandoning the secular basis of the Federal constitution in favour of an Islamic state following an announcement by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Sept 29, 2001 that Malaysia was already Islamic state.

Gerakan and other BN component party leaders came under fire from DAP for submitting to the premiers declaration which was made at Gerakans national delegates conference.

The Ketari by-election is expected to see a straight fight between Gerakans Yum Ah Ha and DAPs Choong Siew Onn. Nomination day is this Saturday.

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

The Barisan Nasional candidate won with a 231-vote majority in the 1999 general elections, beating Choong who garnered 5,643 votes.

Ketari has 17,143 registered voters, of which 95 are postal votes. Chinese Malaysians comprise 53.83 percent (9,228) of the constituency, Malay Malaysians 39.12 percent (6,706) and Indian Malaysians 5.21 percent (843).

The Orang Asli comprise 1.3 percent (223), bumiputra from Sabah and Sarawak 0.21 percent (36) and others 0.33 percent (57).