A last-ditch effort is being made among national leaders to avoid a clash between DAP and PKR in Chinese-majority seats in Sarawak.

"Last-minute talks are still going on in Kuala Lumpur," PKR's candidate designate See Chee How for the urban parliamentary seat of Stampin told Malaysiakini this afternoon, less than 24 hours before nomination.

Although PKR has put in a request to contest in three of the seven Chinese-majority seats, it will be quite happy to settle with one - Stampin.

An agreement was said to have been reached on Wednesday among top leaders of the two parties, including DAP secretary-general Lim Guang Eng and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

But the following day, apparently after pressure from their Sarawak counterparts, Lim informed Anwar that their earlier agreement to give Stampin to PKR was contingent upon an agreement being reached on state seats as well.

Sarawak is the only state that is not holding its state elections simultaneously with parliamentary elections. The last state election was held in May 2006.

DAP has named its Batu Lintang state assemblyperson Voon Lee Shan, 62, a lawyer, as the candidate for Stampin. Voon confirmed to Malaysiakini that he had received his letter of authority signed by the DAP secretary-general to contest.

An angry state PKR chief Dominque Ng Kim Ho, who is the state assemblyperson for Padungan, retaliated by announcing he is going on the hustings in Bandar Kuching where DAP incumbent and state party secretary Chong Chieng Jen will be challenged by SUPP Youth leader and lawyer Allan Sim.

Padungan is one of the two state seats (the other is Pending) which make up the Bandar Kuching parliamentary constituency.

See told Malaysiakini he was ready to stand in Stampin in a three-cornered fight.

BN would benefit

In the event of such a contest, according to observers, Barisan Nasional would be the only one benefitting from a split in opposition vote.

Similarly, in a three-cornered fight involving BN, DAP and PKR in Bandar Kuching, BN would have a much better chance of winning.

Meanwhile, the two dropped incumbents for Lubok Antu and Sri Aman Jawah Gerang and Jimmy Donald have pledged their support for the new candidates William Nyalau (Lubok Antu) and Marsi Kujat (Sri Aman).

In reports published in The Borneo Post today, both urged voters and their supporters to vote for BN.

Tomorrow potential contestants will officially file their nomination papers at selected Election Commission centres between 9 and 10am. This will kick off the 13-day campaign which will end with polling on March 8.