Keadilan vice-president Azmin Ali today said the just concluded Indera Kayangan by-election results indicate that the party does not need the assistance of DAP to secure Chinese votes.

"It is public perception that even without DAP, Keadilan can secure the support of the Chinese," he told malaysiakini, after chairing the party's supreme council meeting in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

Azmin said DAP should be honest about the outcome of the by-election results especially in the three Chinese-majority areas which saw an increase of votes for the Keadilan candidate.

The three areas, according to Azmin, are Pekan Lama, Pengkalan Assam and Pekan Baru, where the percentage of Chinese votes for Keadilan saw a 15.4 percent, 6.4 percent and 17.3 percent increase respectively.

Azmin also criticised DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang for not commenting on MCA's performance or the "dirty" tactics used by the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition - which MCA is a leading member - to obtain victory last Saturday.

"Instead he (Lim) has been criticisiing Keadilan. Is he speaking on behalf of BN? It seems that DAP has become more BN than BN itself," he said.

Claims 'ridiculous'

In the Indera Kayangan by-election in Perlis, MCA candidate Oui Ah Lan beat Keadilan's Khoo Yang Chong by a thumping majority of 2,592 votes. The seat fell vacant following the death of MCA state assembly representative Khor Liang Tee last month.

Yesterday, Lim criticised Keadilan over its claims that the party had received an increase in Chinese votes compared to the1999 general election.

He described the conflicting versions provided by several Keadilan leaders on the swing in Chinese votes as "ridiculous".

The veteran politician nevertheless said DAP officials were prepared to work with their counterparts in Keadilan to analyse the voting trends in the Indera Kayangan by-election.

But this received a sharp rebuke from Keadilan supreme council member Ng Lum Yong, who said Lim should have spoken about cooperation between the two opposition parties before the by-election.

"Why speak only now? Lim should have spoken about wanting to work with us during the campaign not now when the by-election is over," he said.

PBS shows true colours

In an unrelated matter, Keadilan's former candidate in the recent Likas by-election in Sabah, Christina Liew, criticised PBS' re-entry into BN.

Describing PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitigan as "unprincipled", she said:"For 10 years PBS has been going around telling the people of Sabah to hate BN, Umno and (Prime Minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad."

"How do you expect the people's minds to turn from left to right overnight," asked Liew, who is now Keadilan's Tanjung Aru division chief.

Liew also revealed that PBS and Keadilan had been working on a pact to prepare for the coming general election, scheduled for 2004 or earlier.

However, Liew said the aborted plan was a "blessing in disguise". According to her, PBS has revealed its true colours.

"We are going to work hard to woo their members who are disgruntled with their party's decision to join BN," she said.

Yesterday, Mahathir announced PBS' entry into BN, making it the ruling coalition's 14th component party. PBS had made their application to join BN last October.

The move was not a surprise as PBS had previously joined BN in1986 but exited at the eleventh hour before the 1990 general election.