The Sanggang by-election result last Saturday showed that the attempt to exploit Pahang Mentri Besar Adnan Yaakob's "lewd" gesture failed to win sizable votes.

According to DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang, the issue was not as successful as the Barisan Nasional's attempt to make PAS' position in rejecting secularism a central issue in the polls, particularly among the non-Malay voters.

Lim said that the two, namely the MB's lewd gesture and the PAS banner with the words "Tolak Sekularisme" (Reject Secularism) were critical campaign issues in the by-election.

BN retained the state seat in Pahang with an increased majority of 1,963 vote, with its candidate, Redzwan Harun, polling 6,743 votes against PAS' Hishamuddin Yahaya's 4,780.

The by-election was held following the death of BN's Abdullah Kia, who in last November's election polled 6,008 votes of against PAS' Abdul Rahim Latif's 4,970.

Meanwhile, Lim criticised Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's claim that the BN's victory in Sanggang was despite that the opposition had resorted to dirty tactics.

Commenting on the by-election victory yesterday, Mahathir said that the opposition had tried to instil fear so that people, especially the Chinese, would not go out to vote.

"DAP did not succeed in making a greater impact on the Chinese voters in Sanggang, but we cannot allow lies and falsehoods about the by-election to remain unchallenged," Lim said.

He stressed that throughout the by-election campaign, opposition front Barisan Alternatif and DAP sent out one constant message - to urge every Malaysian Chinese voter to come out and vote on polling day for democracy and a more just and equal society.

The electorate were also urged not to succumb to the campaign by MCA and Gerakan using lies and falsehoods that DAP was co-operating with PAS to make the Chinese "an oppressed race" losing their customs and traditional rights, Lim added.