They did it first, not us - Keadilan leaders today turned the table and accused former opposition partner DAP of leaking sensitive details of seat negotiations between the two parties to the media.

Penang Keadilan said it was state DAP leader Chow Kon Yeow who first spoke to the press about the Chinese-based party's intention to contest in all seats in the island state.

According to Keadilan state community liaison bureau chief Peter Lim, the DAP leader spoke to Chinese daily Kwang Wah Yit Poh on July 14 that his party was seeking seats which it had traditionally contested as well as the new seats created by the Election Commission in a recent redelineation exercise.

Two weeks ago, a furious DAP suspended the seat negotiation talks, aimed at ensuring that the opposition parties will have a one-to-one contest with the ruling Barisan Nasional front in the upcoming general election, due before the end of next year.

Keadilan 'shocked'

"We were shocked at why Chow had made such a statement. It shows who is actually insincere and unprofessional. He was the one who leaked the details of negotiations, not us," Lim said at a press conference, showing reporters the newspaper cutting in question.

"We are upset that the decision to suspend negotiations were based on Penang Keadilan chief Dr Mansor Othman's statement in Kwong Wah and malaysiakini on the Aug 1 and 4 respectively when it was their people who leaked the information first," he added.

"We want an apology and emphasise that we were not the ones who first gave details of the negotiation," he stressed.

Mansor had expressed great disappointment that during the duo's July 29 meeting - the fifth of such talks since it began in March - DAP was insistent on contesting all Chinese-majority seats, leaving Keadilan with only Malay-majority and mixed-race seats.

His statement sparked a controversy between the two parties and DAP secretary-general Kerk subsequently announced that the party was suspending negotiations with its former ally in the Barisan Alternatif pact.

Kerk, who is also Kota Melaka member of parliament, accused Keadilan leaders of revealing details of the talks when it had been agreed between the two parties that both sides would not talk to the media on the matter.

DAP hits back

Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Chow denied revealing information about the seat negotiation.

However, he refused to elaborate further as "sufficient damage has been caused by the media exchanges".

Chow nevertheless defended himself against Keadilan's accusation. He questioned how he could have "leaked" the details of the seat negotiation talks - where the last meeting took place on July 29 - when the said media report was dated July 15.

"What I said in the press was not something that was being negotiated (between the two parties). It was the journalist's analysis which produced the figure 8 and 20," he told reporters when met at his office in Penang.

Chow was referring to Kwong Wah 's speculative analysis of the eight parliamentary and 20 state seats that DAP and Keadilan were believed to be most likely be vying for.

"There is no need to point fingers at us. They too have made announcements - like wanting to capture 60 percent of all state seats in Penang but we have been keeping very quiet," he added.

When asked if it was true that DAP did not want to compromise on all Chinese-majority seats, Chow said that he did not want to discuss such details.