DAP Will Harp On Gerakan-PPP Spat To Drum Up Support - Khairy

REMBAU, March 24 (Bernama) -- The DAP will try to blow up the Gerakan-PPP spat to garner support in the run-up to the April 12 Machap by-election in Melaka, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

He said the minor tiff between the two Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties had since been settled.

"At BN Youth level, there's no problem," he told reporters when met at the Rembau district-level Farmers' Day celebrations at Kampung Titian Akar.

Khairy said the DAP would try to hide its own weaknesses by shifting the focus to the internal problems in BN.

"We all know the DAP will contest in Machap but Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has announced it will pave the way for DAP to field a candidate in this by-election on condition the PKR is allowed to contest in Machap in the next general election.

"This showed there is no understanding and cooperation among opposition parties while we in the BN although there are some bickerings, they're resolved amicably," said Khairy, who is also Rembau Umno youth leader.

Khairy said Umno Youth was geared up for the by-election and had even identified specific areas where the movement would focus its attention.

"We will go all out in our campaign to ensure the Barisan retains the seat with a bigger majority," he added.

The seat, previously known as Bukit Sedanan, fell vacant following the death of BN assemblyman Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam, 55, on March 15.

In the 2004 general election, Poh, who was also Melaka MCA chairman, beat DAP's Liou Chen Kuang by a 4,562-vote majority. Nomination is on April 3.