After months of verbal jousting, PPP and Gerakan are likely to settle their differences in a meeting after the Machap by-election.

However, as the two parties are busy with election preparations, a date can only be set after the by-election, said PPP president M Kayveas yesterday.

According to a Bernama report, Kayveas said the meeting would serve as a platform to forge closer working relations between the two BN component parties.

Both Kayveas and outgoing Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik have been squabbling over various issues since September last year after it was apparent that PPP had to 'return' the Taiping parliamentary seat to Gerakan.

In 2004, PPP had its first successful outing in 18 years when Kayveas won the hotly-contested seat with a slim majority of five percent.

This was made possible by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who initiated 'one-off' deal between Umno and Gerakan to give way for PPP to contest in the area.

Keng Yaik's 'retirement'

In another development, Lim said that he has no regrets over the past 26 years as Gerakan president, other than the lack of "nationalistic belonging" among various communities had yet to achieve in the form of Bangsa Malaysia.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed myself in this vocation," said Lim during an hour-long press conference at his office in Putrajaya yesterday, reported The Sun .

"It gives me goose pimples that I lasted 26 years," added Lim, who is also Energy, Water and Communications Minister.

On his most cherished moment during his long political career, the colourful politician known for his witty and sarcastic remarks didn't disappoint when he quipped: "It was a nightmare everyday".

Nevertheless, Lim said that he would choose the same political path if he were given the chance to ride it all over again.

Lim would officially hand over the party's presidency to his deputy Dr Koh Tsu Khoon on April 8, which coincides with his 68th birthday.