Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has warned the respective presidents of Gerakan and the People's Progressive Party to end their verbal war.

He told reporters in the Parliament lobby today that the spat between Dr Lim Keng Yaik and M Kayveas would be resolved internally. He had met both of them yesterday.

"We don't want any more open debate. We will solve this in the spirit of consensus within Barisan Nasional (BN)," he said.

There has been bad blood between the two BN leaders ever since Kayveas, also the Taiping member of Parliament, asked for four parliamentary and 12 state seats to be returned to PPP in the next general election.

The cause of the dispute was traced to a statement by Bukit Gantang MP Tan Lian Hoe, whom Gerakan had appointed as Taiping BN chairperson last June.

She stated that her first task would be to take back the Taiping seat from the PPP. (Gerakan had given up the seat to PPP in the 2004 general election, after initial disagreement.)

Lim said Kayveas should seek an explanation from the BN chairperson as to who should head the Taiping constituency.

He also said "instead of getting a thank you, I get a kick in the back" and called Kayveas ungrateful for the sacrifices Gerakan has made.

The situation escalated when both leaders openly challenged one another via the media, with Kayveas even remarking that Gerakan would "close shop" within five years of Lim's retirement.

This resulted in Gerakan Youth announcing a boycott of all activities organised by the PPP, including those involving Kayveas in his capacity as deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department.