DAP chief Lim Kit Siang said his party is against all versions of an Islamic state in Malaysia, not just the one touted by PAS but also Umno's as well.

Speaking in Kuching yesterday, Lim said DAP has an edge over rival Chinese-based party, Sarawak United People's Party, because the latter was afraid to question Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's version of an Islamic state.

He added that DAP left the opposition Barisan Alternatif coalition as a matter of principle due to the party's stand against the implementation of an Islamic state in multi-religious and multi-racial Malaysia.

"SUPP says in its billboards all over Sarawak that it opposes the Islamic state and says that it cherishes democracy, but it dare not oppose Mahathir's Islamic state," he told the 500-odd crowd outside Foo Chow restaurant

DAP withdrew from the three-year-old BA last Saturday because another member of the coalition, PAS, was unwilling to set aside its desire to set up an Islamic state should it come to power.

Lim said his party was different from SUPP because it hopes to implement the concept of racial integration instead of assimilation.

"We oppose the concept of one language and one culture as in Indonesia, and seek to defend mother-tongue language and Chinese culture," said Lim, who flew in from Sibu to join the campaign trail in Kuching.

"If we have allowed assimilation to take place, we do not know what Malaysia would look like now," he added.

Lim urged the people to exercise their power to elect representatives from the opposition in order to keep the government in check.

Good chance

Meanwhile, DAP candidate for Padungan, Chong Chieng Jen, said he had a good chance in winning the seat as the SUPP's candidate, Lily Yong, was not very popular in the constituency.

"She projects herself as a woman activist and her manifesto stresses only on activities for women instead of general policies," Chong told reporters after the DAP ceramah (political gathering).

"Yong is better suited to run as a mayor or social worker than a state representative," he added. Chong said he was not deterred by SUPP's alleged dirty tactics during the campaign.

"They use scare tactics and keep on harping on the voters irrational fears by bringing up issues such as violence, riots and religious extremists" he said.

"As for DAP, we try to be sensible and rational and raise specific issues, and concentrate on policies that would benefit the people in our campaigns," he added.