Faced with a potential boycott by PAS Youth in the Kajang by-election, PKR still has a friend in Selangor DAP which has pledged to stand by its partner in its "hour of need".

"As an equal coalition partner of Pakatan Rakyat, Selangor DAP will provide all necessary assistance and support to PKR to ensure victory in the by-election, and will not abandon or worse, betray them in their hour of need.

"As the saying goes, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’," said Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua in a statement.

The pledge of "unconditional" support for the Kajang by-election which must be called in the next six months comes after DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng claimed that he was in the dark over PKR's move to trigger a by-election.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali (centre in photo) said that incumbent Kajang representative PKR's Lee Chin Cheh's resignation was a "tactical" move to build momentum towards the Sarawak election and 14th general election which can be called as early as 2016.

This sparked off backlash including from PAS central committee member Nasruddin Hassan who stressed that by-elections should not be used to "test the market, test your power or go on a test drive".

PAS Youth is also mulling a boycott for what it sees as a "waste of public funds".

PKR was also slammed by critics for triggering a by-election to solve the escalating Selangor PKR internal feud between Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and party state chief Azmin.

However, top Pakatan leaders including PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang were present at the PKR headquarters in Tropicana, Selangor yesterday when PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's candidacy was announced.

Also supporting Anwar's bid to enter the Selangor legislative assembly, Pua said the veteran politician's entry into Selangor Pakatan could make Selangor a "role model" for other states.

As it is, he said, the Selangor Pakatan government has already differentiated itself from the previous BN government via transparency and accountability.

He also echoed PKR's explanation that the by-election will be a stepping stone towards taking Putrajaya.

"To achieve our vision of change in the federal government, to put in place a government that is not only competent, accountable and transparent but also listens to and acts in the best interest of the people, we call upon the rakyat of Selangor to give Pakatan full support in the Kajang by-election," he said.