A Keadilan leader has expressed surprise at former coalition partner DAP's decision to contest in the Oct 12 Gaya parliamentary seat by-election, turning it into a three-cornered fight.

Party supreme council member Cheah Kah Peng said DAP had spurned Keadilan's offer to national chairperson Lim Kit Siang to represent the opposition in the contest for the Sabah seat.

"We are equally surprise of DAP's entry into the by-election as we have made our intention (to contest) long ago," said Cheah, who is also Penang Keadilan deputy chief.

Cheah was responding to malaysiakini 's report yesterday that DAP had expressed hope that the Gaya by-election would be a straight fight between itself and the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Party secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock revealed DAP's decision to contest to reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

He said he conveyed the decision to Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail earlier.

'Claim a stake'

Since the Election Commission announced that there would be a by-election in Gaya, Keadilan leaders have stressed the need for the party to "claim a stake" in Sabah.

The by-election was called when Sabah Progressive Party president Yong Teck Lee was disqualified from representing the seat after being found guilty by an election court judge last year of committing corrupt practices during the 1999 Sabah state elections.

Keadilan and DAP have been at constant loggerheads even when the latter was a component party in the opposition Barisan Alternatif front.

DAP left BA last year after it failed to resolved the Islamic state issue with another coalition member, PAS.

Meanwhile, Cheah said a three-cornered fight would be "unhealthy" for opposition unity.

"But if DAP feels it must contest for whatever reason, DAP should fight under the Barisan Alternatif banner," he said.

He reiterated that opposition supporters wanted to see a fight between BA and BN in the coming general election.

"They (opposition voters) do not want to see a fight between DAP versus BA versus BN," he added.

Still negotiating

In a related development, DAP's Kerk said the channel of communication between the party and Keadilan has not been "terminated".

"We are still open for negotiation as we want to see a straight fight between the opposition and BN," he said when contacted.

Kerk conceded it would be a disaster if there was a three-cornered contest between Keadilan, DAP and BN.

"A three-cornered fight will only bring defeat for the opposition and ensure BN's victory," he added.

Last night, Keadilan named its Sabah's deputy head, Christina Liew, as the party's candidate for the by-election.

DAP today announced that it will be fielding Dr Hiew King Cheu, the party's Kota Kinabalu branch chief, as its candidate.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to name the BN candidate early next week.