Barisan Alternatif parties should honour agreements made to each other although it is the right of a party to decide who it wants to admit as a member, DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang said today.

Stressing that he was not "angry" but sad and exasperated at the latest deterioration in DAP-Keadilan relations, Lim said the issue was not the application to join Keadilan by DAP former Penang chief Teoh Teik Huat, but whether solemn undertakings made by BA were serious and honourable.

He expressed appreciation to Keadilan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar for acknowledging that Keadilan should adhere to the three principles endorsed by the BA Council of Leaders in April 1999.

"It is very unfortunate that several Keadilan national and state leaders have publicly denied that there was ever such a BA agreement," Lim said.

One of the principles that was agreed upon was that the component parties were not to entertain membership applications from anyone involved in controversies which may jeopardise cooperation between opposition parties.

The other two principles are to give priority to cooperation and to respect the individual's right of free association consistent with the spirit of fundamental human rights and the Constitution.

Choppy relationship

However, when asked whether Keadilan's acceptance of Teoh's application was a violation of those principles, Lim refused to comment.

"I do not wish to get into the details. The principles are very clear," he told malaysiakini when contacted.

The on-again-off-again row between Keadilan and DAP resurfaced in the wake of Teoh and several state DAP members applying to join Keadilan last weekend.

Lim then requested his party to release him from all Keadilan-DAP meetings to discuss the choppy relationship between the two parties.

He announced that DAP deputy secretary-general and MP for Bukit Mertajam Chong Eng had been appointed to replace him in such meetings.

Lim stressed, however, that he would continue to attend BA meetings as he was still committed to the coalition's concept of restoring justice, freedom, democracy and good governance.

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