Opposition member of parliament Goh Kheng Huat has likened the Oct 12 Gaya parliamentary seat by-election to a dog chasing its own tail for the opposition.

The renegade DAP leader said the three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional, Keadilan and DAP will actually be a contest between DAP and Keadilan instead of a fight between the opposition and ruling coalition.

"The fight will be between the two opposition parties to see who can garner more votes. It is not to see who will win but who will take second or third place," he told malaysiakini when contacted today.

"The chances of victory for the opposition is very slim with this lack of cooperation between the two parties.

"Keadilan and DAP leaders who agreed to the three-cornered fight must be responsible for any losses suffered by the opposition in this by-election," he added.

Goh, who is MP for Nibong Tebal, fell out with his party leadership when he defied orders not to campaign in several by-elections contested by the opposition against BN.

DAP leaders refused to campaign for the opposition for fear of being seen as endorsing PAS' Islamic stance and hudud law enactment in states under its control.

The three-cornered fight between BN's Sabah Progressive Party vice-president Liew Teck Chan, Keadilan treasurer Christina Liew and DAP's Kota Kinabalu branch chief Hiew King Cheu was confirmed today when Gaya held its nomination.

The Gaya seat fell vacant after the Federal Court ruled on Sept 3 that former MP and ex-Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee was guilty of corrupt practices in the 1999 Sabah elections.

Worst defeat

Goh said he was "extremely upset" over the opposition lack of cooperation in this by-election.

Asked if he will be in Gaya to support his party candidate, Goh said with a heavy sigh "I am really very tired, sad and de-motivated about the whole matter".

"If this trend continues in the coming general election, the opposition will face the worst defeat in Malaysia's history," he stressed.

Goh said he failed to understand where the opposition was heading as their main enemy should be BN and not each other.

He added that the coming Gaya by-election is a "sad situation" for opposition supporters who want to see an opposition victory as the state is now devoid of an opposition voice since Parti Bersatu Sabah re-joined BN recently.

DAP and Keadilan have been at loggerheads due to seat allocation during several by-elections in the past, with the former having to give way to the latter for the sake of opposition unity.

DAP left the opposition front with PAS and PRM as the other component parties in Barisan Alternatif in September last year due to its failure to resolve the Islamic state issue with PAS.