PKR wants PSM to contest under its banner

PSM secretary-general says since the party is now a registered entity, it stood a better chance of winning by using its own logo in areas where it has a strong foothold.

PKR wants its non-Pakatan Rakyat ally Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to contest under its banner in the upcoming general election.

“They want us to contest on their party ticket even though we are a registered party.

“Negotiations are still ongoing for all the seats,” said PSM central committee member and Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar.

Meanwhile, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said his party would not have a problem contesting under a common Pakatan Rakyat logo.

“In the last election, we borrowed PKR’s logo because we were not registered then,” he said, adding that PKR understood the right to freedom of association.

“We can’t be members of two parties. We have been using and promoting our own logo in places we have contested for around 10 years and we would be able to get more votes by using our own logo provided that there are no three-cornered fights,” he added.

In the last general election, PSM contested in one parliament seat and three state seats and won the parliament seat along with a state seat in Kota Damansara, Selangor.

Party deputy chairperson M Sarasvathy lost in a three-cornered tussle in Jelapang, Perak, whereas Arutchelvan was defeated in the Semenyih state seat in Selangor.

Of the four, Jelapang was also an issue since DAP and PSM contested for the seat in the last general election.

However, Jeyakumar was confident that PSM would be able to win the seat currently held by former DAP turned Independent rep, Hee Yit Foong.

On the possibility of PSM joining Pakatan officially, the medical doctor said that his party hoped to move an agenda that prioritisizes society.

Arutchelvan did not rule out the possibility of PSM joining Pakatan soon. “We are open, not closed, to the idea as we’ll add value to Pakatan,” he added.