Penang DAP will team up with PKR and PAS to defend the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in the by-election.

This decision differs from that of the Penang DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy), whose chief Ng Wei Aik said that the wing will only work with PKR Youth and not PAS during the polls.

But state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow said that the decision for the three parties to work as a team was made last Thursday at the Penang Pakatan Rakyat meeting.

"The meeting was attended by national leaders from the three Pakatan parties and was chaired by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng," Chow ( right ) said at a press event today.

He was asked about DAP's preparation for the upcoming Permatang Pauh polls. Nomination is on April 25 while polling falls on May 7.

Other than DAP leaders, Chow said the meeting last Thursday was also attended by top leaders from all parties, including PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and party secretary Rafizi Ramli; and PAS state deputy commissioner I and II Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Salleh Man.

"The meeting discussed strategies and approaches we will use during the by-election," added the DAP national vice-chairman.

CEC decision applies only to Hadi

Asked about Penang Dapsy's decision to freeze ties with PAS even during the by-election, Chow said the party's central executive committee (CEC) had only ruled that the party cut ties with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

"The CEC has made the decision that we only cut ties with PAS but remain in Pakatan Rakyat," noted Chow, who is also Padang Kota MP.

"Only Sabah and Sarawak DAP has the autonomy to cut ties with PAS while others, including the women and youth wings, must reconcile their actions with the CEC decision," he said.

Hadi ( left ) had irked DAP leaders when he went ahead with plans to table the hudud law in Parliament although the move was opposed by both DAP and PKR.

Hadi's move came following PAS' decision to table amendments to the syariah criminal code in Kelantan, which unanimously passed by the state legislative assembly last month.

When contacted, Ng said Penang Dapsy will stick to the National Dapsy's call to freeze ties with PAS "until our position is being overruled by the CEC".

Dapsy: no joint campaign with PAS Youth

"We will work with PKR Youth to campaign for Permatang Pauh but we have made it clear that we won't share the same ceramah or any joint campaign with Pas Youth," said Ng ( below ), the Tanjung MP.

"Our position is to freeze all working relationship with Pas Youth.

"Dapsy can be overruled (by CEC) but, we have not been overruled so far," he added.

The Permatang Pauh seat fell vacant when the Pardons Board, chaired by the Agong, rejected Anwar Ibrahim's family's appeal to seek for his pardon and release from prison.

Anwar, who is parliamentary opposition leader, is serving a five-year jail term for a sodomy conviction at the Sungai Buloh prison.

Speculation is rife that Dr Wan Azizah, Anwar's wife, or Nurul Nuha, his daughter, would be the possible candidate for the seat which the sacked deputy prime minister has held since 1982.