The 12 DAP parliamentarians will aid Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his crusade against corruption, said party chairperson Lim Kit Siang.

"I believe Pah Lak is sincere in wanting to fulfil his promises.I am giving him the benefit of the doubt although I have some reservations whether he can actually deliver," he added.

Lim told malaysiakini this last night after attending the victory dinner for the party's Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen in the Sarawak capital.

He said after obtaining an overwhelming mandate, giving his government "not a 2/3rd majority but a 9/10th majority" in Parliament, Abdullah will have greater political and moral courage to carry out his promises.

However, Lim said there were indications just before nomination day that the premier must be contend with the system in place as proved by the resistance to some state leadership changes he proposed.

He said Abdullah was seen as battling alone against the system, adding that to fight corruption to its core, the premier must change the system.

The DAP leader said his party would also ensure that the government does not breach the Merdeka social contract for a secular, democratic nation with Islam as the official religion.

Racial politics

The veteran politician also dismissed the concern of some academics that the outcome of this polls would see the re-emergence of a 'Malay government and Chinese opposition' or racial politics of the past.

"Look at DAP. Of the 12 MPs, two or two-and-a-half are Indians," he said, adding that the party also has many Malay supporters.

According to Lim, this is why he had been thinking aloud about a merger proposal with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan).

However, he reiterated that for this to become a reality, Keadilan must severe ties with its Barisan Alternatif (BA) ally PAS.

DAP quit the opposition alliance in 2001 after its leaders crossed swords with PAS over its aim to form an Islamic state.

Yesterday, Keadilan leaders called on Lim not to divert attention with merger talks and urged him to focus on the issue of election irregularities. They also rejected the idea of breaking ties with PAS.

Following an impressive victory in Ipoh Timor, Lim will return to Parliament after a five-year hiatus.

Meanwhile, DAP Sarawak chairperson Wong Ho Leng said he was encouraged by the vote support coming from the state constituencies withing the parliamentary constituencies contested by the party's candidates.

"It may be hard to see how we might fare in the state elections two years down the road from now, we are certainly encouraged by the results of the parliamentary elections," he added.

As for the just concluded parliamentary polls, the opposition party only managed to secure one seat - through Chong ( photo ) in Bandar Kuching.