The coming Permatang Pauh by-election has injected Pakatan Rakyat with a new lease of life as its heavyweights gathered in full force tonight in Guar Perahu to launch the coalition's polls machinery.

The opposition coalition, deemed by many to be splitting due to PAS insistence on hudud law, showed no trace of animosity tonight.

Tonight, all quarrels over the hudud law were forgotten as DAP and PAS vowed to participate actively in the election campaign which kicks off on April 25, nomination day.

Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusuf Rawa, who represented PAS in the all-star line up of speakers assured that PAS was "101 percent" behind PKR's candidate.

"There is no question about that," he said.

"We want the whole world to know that Pakatan Rakyat is still alive!" Mujahid exclaimed.

He dismissed claims that PAS was in cahoots with Umno, as the Umno backed the party's move to implement the amendments to the syariah criminal code in Kelantan.

"According to media reports, PAS was asked to help Umno in Permatang Pauh. My reply is, PAS is committed to its allies in Pakatan," he said.

"Please do not think we are so hard up for it. Sorry."

Wan Azizah's tears

The Pakatan election machinery was launched with a show of flags from the three Pakatan parties and a public declaration by the crowd to continue the Reformasi movement.

The two Pakatan government heads - Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng cum DAP secretary-general and Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali cum PKR deputy chief left their busy schedule to attend tonight's event.

However, the star of the night was Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (right) , who is highly-speculated to be the party's Permatang Pauh candidate.

Accompanying her were a host of Pakatan leaders from many states.

"You might see my tears but this does mean I have lost," Azizah said during her speech.

She urged voters to help PKR retain the seat which was unjustly seized from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Her husband lost his seat as the family failed in their pardons application, which was hoped to put an early end to his five-year jail sentence following his sodomy conviction on Feb 10.

Today's date, dubbed Black 14, is also symbolic day for PKR as it was the day Anwar was sentenced to jail for abuse of power related to his first sodomy charge in 2001.

Azmin: We're not breaking up

During his speech, Azmin expressed happiness that DAP and PAS were committed to help PKR retain Permatang Pauh, which goes to polls on May 7, with early voting on May 3.

"This is what BN and Umno are afraid of, when Pakatan is united, BN will be buried.

"We will be united to trounce them in Putrajaya for their  injustices, which is beyond limits.

"We are not breaking up. We have only one enemy, that is BN and Umno," Azmin assured.

Lim reminded the crowd that Anwar is still Pakatan's prime minister of choice.

"Do not think that just because he is in jail, he cannot be PM. I, too, was in jail. Who knows that I would be chief minister now?" he asked.

Lim also warned of the possibility of money politics in the campaign but said "the people's spirit is stronger than the lure of money".

"We must prove Permatang Pauh wants an MP who can apeak for them. Can Umno be their voice and defend their needs?" he asked.

PKR national deputy youth chief Dr Afif Bahardin, the emcee for tonight announced party's poll tagline: "Demi Rakyat, Bantah GST".

GST is the acronym for the much opposed goods and services tax which the federal government implemented on April 1.

PAS and DAP youth wings make up

Pakatan is expected to harp on the issue with PKR veep Rafizi Ramli joking: "I'm staying here for the whole election campaign".

"For those who do not want to pay for GST, I will be cooking for you all during this campaign," he said to much laughter from the 500-odd crowd.

This was a reference to Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan who ired students by telling them to cook instead of eating at restaurants to avoid the GST. University hostels do not allow cooking.

Meanwhile, the youth wings of the Pakatan allies will also set aside their differences during the campaign which starts on April 25, nomination day.

PKR national youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said his counterparts - DAP Socialist Youth chief Teo Kok Seong and PAS youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat have agreed to work together to ensure PKR retains the Permatang Pauh seat.

Teo had earlier said the DAP Youth wing is ceasing cooperations with PAS Youth wing in protest of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's private member's bill to pave the way for hudud.

The move was vehemently opposed by DAP and PKR as it was not endorsed in the Pakatan leadership council.

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