Come Dec 16, DAP's Central Executive Committee will congregate for two days and decide on a very significant political decision; to stay with PAS, PRM and Keadilan in Barisan Alternatif or to go it alone again.

Whilst much has been said in the pro-Barisan Nasional dailies, persuading DAP to seek for divorce in this 'marriage of convenience', DAP leaders should come to their senses and study this matter thoroughly, for the best interest of opposition politics.

Today's political scenario serves an opportune moment for Lim Kit Siang and Kerk Kim Hock and other CEC members to first go down - do a roadshow - to meet their grassroots supporters. The roadshow can achieve two objectives: to explain certain matters raised by Dr Mahathir Mohamad lately due to his discontentment with some Chinese 'extremists', and to gauge the sentiment on the ground on the future of DAP-BA future, a sort of a referendum.

The Lunas seat went to BA. The majority of 530 votes might be small, but the swing from 1999's 5,000-odd majority for BN was tremendous. The voters in Lunas including the Chinese sent a clear message to BN and to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but DAP should realise that these voters also sent one implicit message to the opposition: that they wanted from the latter a strong political conviction to work together to realise change.

Lim and Kerk's appearance in the last two days of campaigning in Lunas certainly played some role to effect the significant swing in Chinese votes.

All BA partners must concede there are problems at hand which need to be solved quickly. The attitude, however, must be correct. Each problem faced must be seen as a mini-rehearsal, a chance to improve. If they can learn from these and stay together through thick and thin whilst not yet in power, they can easily deal with any attempts to split them should they be given the mandate to lead the country.

One thing that's almost certain - BA will continue with or without DAP. With Keadilan being gradually seen as a viable multi-racial party deeply embedded in the coalition, and with PAS providing the grassroots punch and seen by the Malays as a potent replacement for Umno, it is a no-brainer that BA will go for almost all seats contested in the next general elections, predicted in 2004.

If DAP opts out, BA should not be blamed should there be three-corner fights in many places, including traditional DAP seats.

BA just cannot take chances because 2004 may mean going for the kill. Think big, DAP!