PETALING JAYA: DAP has no illusions about toppling the Barisan Nasional government.

It only aims to create a stronger opposition by denying the ruling coalition a two-thirds majority.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party's main priority in the polls was to reduce Umno's political dominance.

He explained that although BN was made up of various parties, Umno made the major decisions.

"We want to ensure no one party has all the power.
"We want to build an opposition that can provide a proper check and balance to the government," he said here yesterday.

Lim hoped voters unhappy with the current situation would consider choosing the opposition, rather than venting their anger in coffee shops.

"If the voters feel strongly about change, don't think twice. Vote for us. BN will still rule the country but with a stronger opposition. Think about it."

The multiracial but Chinese-dominated party has expressed interest in contesting some 25 per cent of the parliamentary and state seats.

Lim also mentioned the feedback his party had received about the rising prices of goods.

"Malaysians are not so unreasonable as to expect prices to go down when it is reaching record levels internationally."

However, he said they were unhappy because not enough had been done to alleviate the suffering and hardship of those whose purchasing power was growing smaller by the day.