PSM ready to go at it alone at 2018 elections

Socialist party eyes Cameron Highlands and Subang among 10 seats to be contested.

SHAH ALAM: Parti Sosialis Malaysia will contest the 14th general election on its own if the opposition fail to form a viable coalition by 2018.

The party also decided at its congress, which ended today, to stand in 10 seats. In the 2013 general election, the party had vied for one parliamentary and three state seats.

Party secretary-general A Sivarajan said PSM was keen to form an alliance with the other opposition parties under one banner to contest the next general election, which is due in 2018.

“However, if the situation remains as it is now, PSM will move on its own,” he said when met at the PSM national congress today.

PSM contested in Sungai Siput, Perak, and Kota Damansara, Selangor, under the PKR banner in 2013 although the party was not a member of the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition then.

Since then, Pakatan Rakyat has broken up, with PAS separated from the new Pakatan Harapan alliance comprising DAP, PKR and Amanah, formed by breakaway PAS members.

PKR continues to maintain political ties with PAS, which is part of the PKR-run Selangor state government together with its former partners the DAP.

For the general election, Sivarajan said PSM was considering a contest in Cameron Highlands and Subang, currently held by Barisan Nasional and PKR respectively.

The party was in the final stages of finalising their prospective candidates, he said.

PSM central committee member Michael Jeyakumar, who is MP for Sungai Siput, urged party delegates to continue trying to get close to the the people, whom he said were “fed up ” with Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan.

“Just look at the US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, many were surprised by the huge support he received. Similarly, Jeremy Corbin (who became chairman of the Labour Party in Britain after winning the party elections last year). People there are tired of the usual politicians. Maybe Malaysians are ready to accept our politics that brings up issues related to the people,” he said.

He urged PSM delegates to highlight the fact that PSM was a “grassroots party “.