PAS has extended its support to its former partner by campaigning aggressively for the DAP candidate, Choong Siew Onn, in Ketari's Malay-majority areas.

Prominent PAS leaders spoke at various ceramah (public talks) held for the community.

Its vice-president Dr Hasan Ali and Pahang PAS Commissioner Idris Omar, who is also Semantan state assembly representative, joined DAP state secretary and Triang assembly representative Leong Ngah Ngah at a ceramah in Felda Mempaga, yesterday.

Supreme council member Mohamad Sabu joined his Keadilan counterpart N Gobalakrisnan at another ceramah in Benus last night. Also speaking were DAP candidate Choong and Leong.

Both Choong and Leong had only praise for the opposition, especially the Pahang PAS leaders who were working very closely to help DAP win the Ketari state seat.

With the Ketari by-election campaign entering its fifth day, political analysts have estimated a 50-50 chance for both Barisan Nasional's Gerakan and DAP in the Chinese-dominant areas of Perting, Ketari Tengah and Sungai Dua.

To tip the scale, both parties needed the support of voters in the Malay-majority areas of Mempaga, Janda Baik, Ketari and Benus.

Chinese Malaysians form the majority in Ketari with 54 percent. Malay Malaysians comprise 39 percent while Indian and other Malaysians make up the remaining seven percent.

The by-election contest will pit lawyer Yum Ah Ha, 51, from Gerakan, against quality controller Choong, 34.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Loke Koon Kam of Gerakan. In the 1999 general elections, Loke defeated Choong with a slim 231-vote majority, garnering 5,874 votes.

DAP's first by-election

Ketari is the first by-election contested by DAP after the 1999 general elections. The previous two by-elections in Lunas, Kedah, and Indera Kayangan, Perlis were contested by Keadilan while another in Sanggang, Pahang, was contested by PAS.