'Dr M taking a page out of Najib's BN playbook for Harapan'

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) believes Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad is taking a page of out Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's BN playbook by courting Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) and former MIC president G Palanivel's supporters.

PSM central committee member S Arutchelvan noted Najib, too, had courted PHM during the last general election.

"It's just a political ploy to get Indians to support (Harapan). This was what (prime minister) Najib did last time.

"It's the first time Mahathir is following what Najib has done," Arutchelvan told journalists in Bangi today.

Arutchelvan said Mahathir's courtship of race-based organisations and movements was similar to the "old racial politics" of BN.

"Having Indian representatives, Chinese representatives and all that.

"That means they are going to do a continuation of racial politics, nothing different (from BN)," he said.

Arutchelvan conceded that he did not know whether such a plan would work in Harapan's favour.

However, he stressed that it was time for the country to abandon racial politics, pointing out how PSM looked beyond race and religion.

Arutchelvan added that the top-down approach in politics will do little to help the country's poor.

"The poor people can only be liberated if all the poor people are united, then they will get something. If not it is just politics of the elites on top," he said.

Arutchelvan was met at an event celebrating former Bangi estate workers from 24 families who had received free homes earlier this year.

Meanwhile, PSM secretary-general A Sivarajan also believed Mahathir's courtship was a case of political manoeuvring.

"I don't think this alliance is based on any kind of commitment or policies.

We are not too sure what is the agenda of (PHM chief) P Waythamoorthy, when he aligned with BN, it was based on some kind of blue print."

As of now, PSM is content with focussing on issue-based work.

"Like the (Kampung) Gatco issue. If PHM is supporting the issue then we work on the issues," he said.

Mahathir was reported to have met Waythamoorthy on a possible collaboration last week.

Apart from that, he is reportedly courting supporters of Palanivel and is believed to have extended an invitation to the Palanivel camp earlier this week. They are expected to meet him as early as next week.

Asked on whether PSM's planned to join Harapan, Sivarajan pointed out how the party had made it clear that it will not be a component of Harapan.

"As of how things are now, an electoral pact is certainly not going to happen.

"We cannot be waiting until the last minute. We have experienced (that) before," he said.

However, PSM said it was still open to meetings with the opposition coalition.

"Then we will put (forward) our position, they put theirs, if something works out it works out, if not, no.

"But we are not waiting for it. Last year, yes, we said we were open to an electoral pact but now things are a bit too late," he said.

Like Sivarajan, Arutchelvan also pointed out how it was too late for PSM and Harapan to form an electoral pact.

"We are just going to contest in places we have been working on. We hope Harapan won't contest where we contest," he said. - Mkini