DAP has denied collaborating with PAS in the latter's initiative in establishing a transparency council to prepare for the general election.

In a statement today, DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock said he was "shocked" to read reports in today's newspapers which quoted PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang as saying that the council included participation by leaders of two other main opposition parties - Keadilan and DAP.

The reports, which appeared in today's New Straits Times and Chinese language press, said the tasks of the council include gathering information on Barisan Nasional's "cruel deeds" and "misdeeds" to the people.

"I am shocked by the reports as I was never aware of the existence of such a council until this morning after reading the news reports.

"DAP was never informed about the formation of such a council and our leaders had not met with PAS people over the matter," he said.

Kerk stressed that DAP is not a member of the transparency council and "has nothing to do with it".

Complaints bureau

However, when contacted later, PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Mat Isa clarified that PAS leaders had only came up with the idea to set up the council yesterday during the party's central working committee meeting and has yet to approach any potential partners.

He said that PAS leaders had proposed for the council to include participation of other opposition political parties, non-government organisations as well as individuals.

"The council will be based in Parliament at the opposition leader's office. It will also be headed by the opposition leader himself (Abdul Hadi)," he said.

Nasharudin said the council would be focused on carrying out "research work" into areas where the people are dissatisfied with the government's policies.

"The council will receive information and complaints from the people and it will then forward these to the relevant authorities," he added.

According to the NST report, Abdul Hadi, as the chairperson of the transparency council, will be assisted in its setting up by PAS central committee members Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS MP for Tumpat, Kelantan) and Husam Musa, who is also the PAS MP for Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.

The latest move by PAS is a clear indication that political parties are gearing up for the general election which is widely expected to be held within the next six months.

DAP, once an ally of PAS in the Barisan Alternatif, has been at pains to disassociate itself with the Islamic party after their fallout over PAS' Islamic state agenda in 2001 when DAP quit the coalition.

Election candidates

Meanwhile, the polls trail is further heated up by an announcement yesterday from the yet-to-be-registered Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) that it has selected four candidates to stand for elections.

According to the NST, the four candidates are PSM chairperson Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim (left), Dr D Jeyakumar, K Kunasekaran and V Selvam.

Jeyakumar is to contest for the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak, currently held by MIC president S Samy Vellu, while Mohd Nasir will stand in Subang. Kunasekaran and Selvam will contest in the Jalong, Perak, and Kota Damansara, Selangor, state seats respectively.

The party also unveiled its six-point manifesto which pledged, among others, to improve the income of ordinary workers.

In a separate statement today, another yet-to-be-registered party, the Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim) pledged its support for the PSM candidates.

"We wish to recognise that these four individuals and many other PSM members have genuinely struggled for the people especially in the four constituencies (where they will be contesting).

"We call upon PAS, DAP, Keadilan and PRM to make way for straight one-to-one contests in the constituencies in the best interest of an opposition candidate winning," said Prim deputy secretary-general RN Rajah.

Rajah's call has come in the light of continued difficulties among opposition parties to carve out seats among themselves in preparation for the general election.

DAP and Keadilan have only just resumed talks on seat allocations after a five-month chill.

DAP had claimed that Keadilan was persistently leaking details of the discussions to the press, although this has been denied by the latter.