The Malaysian Insight

PARTI Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is not planning to join forces with any party in the 14th general election in fear that it will be “stabbed in the back” again.

According to Dr Nasir Hashim, chairman of PSM, the party has been discussing strategies and plans to expand its reach in GE14.

“Because in the past, we have been stabbed in the back by all political parties, I think our guys are a bit uptight about another electoral pact. And we have started the ball rolling by having two PSM members contesting in the last elections under the PSM logo,” he told The Malaysian Insight recently.

With PSM planning to expand its reach, the party intends to field five candidates at the parliamentary level and 15 candidates in the state assembly in GE14.

“We are also opening up PSM to candidates from the common people, like the farmers in Perak, who have actually been very good in building the farmers’ movement. We don’t want the politics to be for the elite politicians only,” Nasir said.

PSM will field an Orang Asli, Mat Noor Ayat, from Pos Lanai to contest in the Jelai state seat. Jelai falls under the Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency.

“He might not stand a chance, but we are taking this opportunity in the next elections to prove that the common people can also make a change.

“We are also looking for an Orang Asli candidate in Gua Musang, Kelantan. PSM feels that we should highlight these people,” Nasir said.

“We believe that the people would be the ones who make the change, and they are the ones who are the backbone of the national economy, and development, and we are the catalyst to make it happen.”

Preparing for GE14, Nasir said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has indirectly helped PSM gain support.

“Dr Mahathir’s work has made PSM’s work easier. Civil society groups are coming to us, because they want some consistency compared with Dr Mahathir’s actions which are exploitative. And they see it in us, although we are a small party.”

PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan, who was with Nasir, is certain that the party can win more seats at GE14 compared with previous elections.

“During GE13, the ‘ini kalilah’ factor was very strong. Voters were saying, let’s vote the party which can win, which was PKR.

“However, this time, the opposition is more fragmented. And that is why I think we have a chance at winning,” Arutchelvan said.

In previous elections, PSM contested the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat and three state seats, namely Semenyih and Kota Damansara in Selangor and Jelapang in Perak. Sungai Siput is the only seat that PSM has retained since the 12th general election in 2008. – May 10, 2017.