PMTG PAUH DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has issued a reminder that party members who go against the party's directives in Permatang Pauh will face severe disciplinary action.

Lim said the issue of the party pulling out its support for the PKR by-election machinery there is “untrue”.

“We are solidly behind PKR and its candidate (and president) Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in this by-election,” Lim told reporters in Penang.

“I am speaking as the number one leader in DAP. If anyone goes against the party’s directive (which is to support PKR), severe action will be taken against them. Don’t play, play,” said the Penang chief minister.

Lim ( left ) was referring to a Malaysiakini report this morning which quoted a senior Pakatan Rakyat leader as saying that  DAP was unhappy with PKR’s election machinery which had neglected the Indian community.

The leader claimed if PKR did not improve its machinery, DAP party  members will pull out from campaigning for the by-election which entered its eighth day today ahead of polling next Thursday.

The senior leader concerned had told Malaysiakini that he came to the conclusion on PKR after campaigning in Kampung Bagan Serai.

When asked, PKR's Seberang Jaya assemblyperson Dr Afif Bahardin said Kampung Bagan Serai was within his constituency and that he was looking into the issues of all communities.

"Seberang Jaya was under Umno for 50 over years and we are slowly trying to resolve the issues in this constituency," he said at PKR's daily press briefing at Yayasan Aman, Bukit Mertajam today.

"Recently, we announced plans to upgrade the market facilities in Seberang Jaya and we have also built a new public hall - SP Arena - for the people. So we are looking into all areas to see how we can improve the lives of people here," he added.

Accompanying him at the press conference was Penang executive council member Jagdeep Singh Deo and DAP's Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim.

Sim denied DAP's polls machinery in Permatang Pauh was staging a pull out due to their unhappiness over PKR's alleged neglect of the Indian community in Kampung Bagan Serai.

"I am here (campaigning in Permatang Pauh) and there is no such thing as a pull out," Sim reassured.

Unconditional support for PKR

Lim said the issue of DAP pulling out from the by-election campaign has “no basis and is untrue”.

“I am issuing a warning (to the members) because the matter is not true, the party's stand towards PKR is unconditional,” he said.

“We support Wan Azizah because of PKR’s stand and the positions she took on national issues,” he added.

“If they are problems with the machinery, it can be improved. There is no such thing as pulling out,” he stressed.

Wan Azizah is in a four-cornered fight with BN’s Suhaimi Sabudin, PRM’s Azman Shah Othman and independent Salleh Isahak.

In the 2013 polls, PKR defacto leader Anwar Ibrahim retained the seat with an 11,721 majority. He received 40 percent  of the Malay votes, 88 percent Chinese votes and 60 percent Indian votes.

Meanwhile, at another press conference today, DAP deputy secretary-general P Ramasamy ( right ) said the party remains on good terms with PKR.

If there were problems which arose between the two parties, it would be resolved internally, he said.

He denied there were Indian leaders who had threatened to boycott the by-election campaign.

He, however, said no segment of voters should be neglected just because  their numbers were small.

He said MIC, especially its female members, had been going house to house to garner votes since campaigning began on Saturday, nomination day.

Permatang Pauh has 4,083 Indian voters.

Cannot sit at home

“Even if there were 100 voters, we have to treat them seriously as voters from all communities are important,” he said.

“The Indian community here has given us their votes since 2008 but we must not take their votes for granted,” he added.

“We cannot just sit at home and do nothing. We cannot assume they will vote for us,” he lamented.

Asked if it were true that the Indians in Kampung Bagan Serai felt neglected, Ramasamy said one of the voters there had remarked the assemblyman was seen only during election time.

“But others say they have seen us and are aware of what we are doing.

“Of course if you go to Perai, where I am assemblyman, some may say they  have never seen Ramasamy.

“If you ask the people who do not like me, they will say they have never seen me (in the constituency) […] I take it with a huge dose of salt,” he quipped.