PETALING JAYA: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has hit out at PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statements on two seats that PSM is contesting.
“Anwar’s statement that the decision to hand over the two seats – Kota Damansara and Sungai Siput – to PSM was a ‘big sacrifice for PKR’ is so laughable,” said PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan in a statement Wednesday.
“How can a seat never contested by PKR suddenly become a big sacrifice?
“In fact, the only party which sacrificed was PSM, which after fighting 11 years under Barisan Nasional rule for their logo, has now given it up for the larger Pakatan Rakyat interest to win Putrajaya,” he said.
Arutchelvan, who is contesting for the Semenyih state seat in a three-cornered fight against candidates from Barisan and PKR, said PSM had originally agreed to stand in the Sungai Siput, Kota Damansara and Semenyih seats under the PKR logo as per their condition.
He claimed that talks finally fell through for the Semenyih seat because PKR deputy president Azmin Ali wanted a Malay candidate.
“What is even frustrating is the fact that Anwar has resolved all the other (six overlapping seats with PAS) except the Kota Damansara seat held by PSM.
“This will definitely result in PSM having a tough time defending the seat,” said Arutchelvan.
“We think it is PSM who made the great sacrifice and is still paying for it,” he charged.
There are seven seats altogether which are being contested by candidates from both PAS and PKR. After negotiation, the two parties agreed to contest in only three seats each, but left the Kota Damansara seat still up for discussion.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had previously said that PAS was forced to field candidates in the seats due to alleged “communist teachings” as well as moral issues of some candidates under the PKR banner.
To that, Arutchelvan said PSM leaders have met PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu on Monday and that “ideological differences” between the two parties was not the main issue.
“The main question in hand is why the letter of authorisation to use the PAS logo for the Kota Damansara seat was signed by Hadi when all other letters were signed by their secretary-general?
“Everyone knows that the dispute on the seven seats was not ideological but merely fighting for seats,” he said.
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