DAP will not give up Hee Yit Foong's Jelapang

PETALING JAYA- Perak DAP will not concede the Jelapang state seat to Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to prevent a three-cornered fight with Barisan Nasional in the next general election.

DAP Perak chairman Ngeh Hoo Kam said the matter has been discussed repeatedly with, among others, Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, who is PSM's sole representative in the state.

"I hope that PSM will not be a spoiler (in Jelapang). There is no reason for them to do so.

"DAP is a social democratic party which shares similar values and we have pledged to implement all policies also championed by PSM," Ngeh told theSun in a phone interview.

He said while DAP acknowledges the good work done by PSM in Jelapang, and the quality of its candidate, the party is confident of its ability to regain voters' trust and support.

Ngeh was responding to PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan, who had in a recent interview said that PSM is keen to re-contest in Jelapang, as well as three other seats it stood for during the 2008 general election. PSM won the Kota Damansara state seat in Selangor, but lost in Semenyih in 2008.

PSM deputy president M. Sarasvathy had contested as an independent candidate in Jelapang and lost her deposit in a three-cornered fight against incumbent MP Hee Yit Foong and MCA's Loh Koi Pin.

Since then, Sarasvathy has been honoured with the Japanese Yayori Matsui human rights award and was also detained under the now abolished Emergency Ordinance, significantly raising her profile.

DAP Perak vice-chairman S. Sivanesan said the party has identified a suitable candidate to replace Hee who became a BN-friendly independent in 2009.

He said Jelapang is a traditional party stronghold and there is "no way" it will give up the seat, unless mandated to do so by its national leaders.

"With all due respect (to PSM), even though they are aligned to Pakatan Rakyat, they are not officially part of the coalition," said the Sungkai assemblyman, who dismissed the matter as an old issue.

Sivanesan said Pakatan Rakyat should have no problem accepting PSM into its fold, based on past agreements reached on various issues.

-thesundaily