The DAP central executive committee is planning to formally invite Barisan Alternatif to help in the upcoming Ketari by-election.

The invitation would be sent although some BA leaders have already agreed to help DAP in the by-election after receiving a letter from DAP Pahang election operations director and Triang state assembly representative Leong Ngah Ngah.

An informed source told malaysiakini that the BA top leadership was still awaiting for an official invitation from DAP before making a formal announcement on their stand.

It was learnt that DAP CEC member Teresa Kok telephoned Keadilan's secretary-general Sahri Bahri yesterday to discuss the matter.

According to the source, Kok told Sahri to 'cool down' on making press statements on the issue as a decision had been made to formally request for help from opposition parties.

When met at the Parliament lobby, Kok admitted calling Sahri but refused to divulge further details.

No objection

Sahri also chose to keep mum on their telephone conversation though he said the party would not object to members helping out or showing their presence in Ketari.

Keadilan president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today confirmed receiving "a verbal invitation" from DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock last Monday when the latter met with BA leaders in Parliament.

Reflecting the opposition's reluctance to make the matter public, Sahri maintained that he has yet to receive any official request for help from DAP, except for the letter from Leong, DAP state leader in Pahang.

Leong wrote to the secretary-generals of PAS, Keadilan and PRM yesterday expressing his gratitude to BA for their help and support, and for giving way to DAP to contest on a "one to one" basis with Gerakan.

In response to the letter, Keadilan deputy Youth chief Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and PAS president Fadzil Noor today said they would be in Ketari to support DAP.

Straight fight

DAP left the opposition pact late last year due to its opposition to PAS' Islamic state plan.

At the Indera Kayangan by-election two months ago, the party decided not help Keadilan in the election campaign.

Although DAP may be capable of fighting the Ketari battle on its own, it needs help to win over the crucial Malay votes.

The Ketari by-election which will be held on March 31, will see a straight fight between Gerakan's Yum Ah Ha and DAP's Choong Siew Onn.

The seat fell vacant following the death of its representative, Loke Koon Kam of Gerakan.

The Barisan Nasional candidate won with a 231-vote majority in the 1999 general elections, beating Choong.

Ketari has 17,143 registered voters, of which 95 are postal votes. Chinese Malaysians comprise 53.83 percent (9,228) of the constituency, Malay Malaysians 39.12 percent (6,706) and Indian Malaysians 5.21 percent (843).

The Orang Asli comprise 1.3 percent (223), bumiputra from Sabah and Sarawak 0.21 percent (36) and others 0.33 percent (57).