GE13: PSM may force three-way battles

The Star, Saturday April 20, 2013

By MARTIN CARVALHO and EILEEN NG

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will field its own candidates in the state seats of Jelapang (Perak) and Semenyih (Selangor) following a deadlock in negotiations with Pakatan Rakyat, said its secretary-general S. Arutchelvan.

 

This would mean that there would be three-cornered battles in those two seats, he said.

Initially, PKR had stated that PSM could contest in Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara on condition that it did not go to Semenyih and Jelapang.

However, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had apparently waived such a condition yesterday.

Arutchelvan said that PSM was ready for any eventuality and would prepare the authorisation letters for its candidates.

Meanwhile, PSM president Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, who is the incumbent for Kota Damansara, claimed that the deadlock to avoid three-cornered fights for the two seats, particularly Semenyih, was due to the “arrogance” of PKR's leadership.

However, he said that PSM would remain committed towards supporting Pakatan in other seats where their candidates are contesting in.

In Perak, the DAP insisted that the Jelapang seat was theirs to contest although PSM had agreed to use the DAP logo for its candidate.

The seat was won in the 2008 polls by DAP's Datuk Hee Yit Foong, who later became a Barisan-friendly independent.

Meanwhile, PKR is not budging from contesting the Semenyih seat and called on PSM to give way in the spirit of “cooperation and compromise”.

Last Sunday, Anwar announced that Hamidi Hassan, the Semenyih PKR division chief, would be the candidate for the seat.

PKR committee member R. Sivarasa said: “We appeal to PSM to respect the spirit of compromise and cooperation as well as honour the spirit of one-to-one fight.”

The PSM should not contest in seats where Pakatan was contesting, he told a press conference yesterday.