APSN | Tussle of power between PSM and DAP may see Jelapang turning into 'hot seat'

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Tussle of power between PSM and DAP may see Jelapang turning into 'hot seat'

Malaysian Times - September 10, 2012

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Jelapang in Perak is currently seeing a tussle of power between Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the Democratic Action Parti (DAP).

The Jelapang seat is currently being held by Barisan Nasional (BN)- friendly independent, Datuk Hee Yit Foong.

When winning the seat in 2008, Hee was a DAP leader before jumping ship to become BN-friendly independent. This action had led to the collapse of the Pakatan-held Perak government.

In regaining the seat back from Hee, PSM is currently in negotiations with PR to decide on who will contest in Jelapang and ways on how they can work together in getting the people's support. It is learnt that she is keen to contest in the seat again in the next general election.

This was said by PSM Secretary-General S. Arutchelvan in a brief telephone conversation with The Malaysian Times (TMT) today.

During the 2008 general election, Jelapang saw a three-cornered fight between BN, DAP and PSM. PSM's National Deputy Chairman M. Saraswathy garnered 1,275 votes against BN's Loh Koi Pin (5,512 votes) and Hee, who won by a landslide of 12,219 votes.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM, Socialist Party of Malaysia), is a socialist political party in Malaysia and an offshoot of Parti Rakyat Malaysia. In it's first ten years following its founding in 1998, the party was denied registration as a political party by the Federal Government of Malaysia.

The reason as to why the party was denied registration is because it was a threat to national security. However, in June 2008, the Home Ministry had given the party the green light to be registered. It took another one year battle before PSM's logo was accepted by SPR in 2009.

This success will now allow the party to stand on its own banner in the coming 13th General Election (GE). PSM is also in agreeable to use a common Opposition logo and even have an election pact with PR.

In looking into the manifesto, Artchelvan said that PSM will have its own manifesto but will also endorse the "Buku Jingga" by PR.

He also added that PSM may use its own logo in areas which PSM is looking to contest. The areas where PSM is looking to contest is in Jelapang, Kota Damansara and Semenyih (State seats) and Sungai Siput (Parliamentary seat). This decision came after much deliberation within the party.

Looking back in history, during the 2008 election, PSM had negotiated with PKR for the use of PKR's logo based on mutual consent. At this time PSM had decided to drop the Subang parliamentary seat and went only with one Parliament seat which is the Sungai Siput seat.

As for the other three state seats – the Kota Damansara state seat in exchange with the Subang Parliament seat which was previously under PAS in 2004 and Semenyih which was also under PAS in 2004 in exchange for the Bukit Lanjan seat.