| Home > South-East Asia >> Malaysia | |
Unite under Pakatan, Karpal tells anti-BN parties
Free Malaysia Today - November 19, 2011
However, he said the parties should apply to join Pakatan without any conditions attached. He particularly had his sights on Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), Human Rights Party (HRP) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) who he said should join Pakatan now unconditionally.
He said these parties should know that the 13th General Election presented a great chance for Malaysians to oust Umno and BN from federal power for the first time since the country achieved independence. "They should join us unconditionally and not become spoilers. Together we can replace BN in Putrajaya," said Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP.
Karpal assured that Pakatan leadership would give all unconditional applications from any party due consideration. However, he said any conditional application, especially those demanding seats, would not be entertained because it would put all anti-BN parties in a "no win situation."
Although PSM is Pakatan-friendly and contested in three seats under PKR ticket in the last general election, in which it won two, the party still remains outside Pakatan.
In 2008, PSM national chairman Dr Nasir Hashim won the Kota Damansara assembly seat while another leader Dr Micheal Jeyakumar won the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat. PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvam lost in the Semenyih state seat in Selangor.
'Socialism no longer a powerful political tool'
PSM was also involved in a three-cornered fight in the Perak state seat of Jelapang when it fielded national deputy chairperson M Saraswathy as an independent candidate against DAP's Hee Yit Foong and BN's Loh Koi Pin. Hee, who won the contest, has since quit DAP to become a BN-friendly Independent.
"Socialism is no longer a powerful political tool in the country as it was in 1960s. It's about time PSM considers its socialist position to join Pakatan officially," said Karpal.
HRP has also stated that it would contest in certain federal and state seats against both Pakatan and BN if Pakatan refused to accept it as equal partner.
PRM recently announced that it would contest Balik Pulau federal seat in Penang and, Petaling Jaya Selatan parliamentary and Selayang state seats in Selangor in the next election.
Karpal cautioned that any multi-cornered contest in the next election would only benefit BN, hence nullifying an opportunity for Malaysians to see a new federal government. He said PSM, HRP and PRM should gauge their strength first before making demands in joining Pakatan.
"They should join us first unconditionally and then request for seats. I'm sure the Pakatan leadership would consider their request in a fair and just manner," said the Pakatan leader.
See also:
 |