Campaigning leading up to the Indera Kayangan by-election on Saturday is reaching its peak with both Barisan Nasional and Barisan Alternatif members trying their best to outdo each other in the battle for voters' hearts and minds.

While the well-oiled BN propaganda machinery has a field day publicising massive defections of opposition members to Umno, Keadilan has made several reports of violence, threats and 'dirty tactics' used against its supporters

To date, about 360 Keadilan members are believed to have crossed over to Umno. The most prominent is Perlis Keadilan Youth deputy chief Syed Araniri Syed Ahmad who said on Saturday he had lost confidence in Keadilan's struggle and was unhappy with Keadilan's choice of candidate.

Keadilan has claimed that BN is also pressuring its Chinese supporters to defect and go public with it. Keadilan supreme council member Cheah Kah Peng said one of the party's supporters has alleged that he had been 'threatened' by BN members to renounce Keadilan.

"They have also been asked to appear on TV to announce their defection," Cheah told malaysiakini today.

According to Cheah, the Keadilan supporter in his 20s, identified only as Lim, said he had received several telephone calls ordering him to leave Keadilan. "His mother even called me and requested for our help as they feared for their safety," Cheah said.

Tactics condemned

The Indera Kayangan by-election campaign period is now in its fifth day. Polling on Jan 19 will see a straight fight between BN's MCA candidate Oui Ah Lan, 58 and Keadilan's Khoo Yang Chong, 60.

The seat fell vacant following the death of former BN state assemblyman Khor Liang Tee last month.

Cheah also said his party had received information that BN would launching an exercise called the 'Black Operation' ( Gerakan Hitam ) 'to frighten Chinese voters'.

"This group is supposed to create trouble and commotion to unsettle Chinese voters in Indera Kayangan which is a mixed constituency where Keadilan can win," he said.

The lawyer from Penang condemned tactics by BN to gain support and claimed the party had received calls from MCA members who sympathised with Keadilan.

"The BN has underestimated the intelligence of Chinese voters," he added.

Mob assault

Meanwhile, a mob of 50 to 100 men were reported to have abducted a Keadilan leader and assaulted four supporters, injuring one of them, in Indera Kayangan yesterday.

According to a police report lodged, Keadilan Youth executive council member and Shah Alam Youth chief Mohamad Johari Yasin was abducted at Jalan Medan Baru at about 4am by several men and taken to a BN operations centre where he was assaulted.

Johari, in his police report, said the incident started near a popular shopping centre on the same road after and he and three Keadilan supporters confronted a group of youths who were tearing up the party's posters.

An argument ensued and during which the mob gathered and assaulted the four.

Johari and the three other men were later taken to the Kangar general hospital for medical treatment.