PSM today confirmed that its sole MP Michael Jeyakumar would contest in the coming polls despite his earlier statement that he was ready to withdraw to prevent gifting the Sungai Siput seat to Barisan Nasional (BN).
PSM secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam said the decision was reached after discussions with Jeyakumar and branch leaders.
MM Online - Faced with multi-cornered fight, PSM says may give up Sungai Siput (extracts):
IPOH, April 24 — Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)’s leadership are currently deliberating on whether they should give up contesting the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.
This comes after PKR announced their candidate for the seat. There are concerns within PSM that a multi-cornered fight against Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS will make it difficult to secure a GE14 win.
Incumbent Sungai Siput MP Dr Micheal Jeyakumar from PSM said that a few party members had suggested that he give up the seat.
“Some people in our branch are questioning whether we should stand aside. They said no point in contesting if we are going to lose.
“This is the argument that is going on now, but we have to consult the party and branch members before making any decision,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.
PKR today announced that S. Kesavan, who is the party’s incumbent for Hutang Melintang state seat, will be contesting for the parliamentary seat in GE14.
“It’s quite disappointing because the seat could be won by the Opposition, but now it has turned into a four-cornered fight with PAS contesting as well.
“It’s going to be difficult and all the opposition parties, including PAS are going to lose,” he added.
Dr Jeyakumar admitted that PSM has a slim chance in a four-cornered fight.
I had warned earlier that if Pribumi joins Pakatan, there'll be less seats for each component party. And the lion's share Mahathir's party has seized from the Pakatan pool must have added tremendous pressure on PKR (and other Pakatan member parties) to korek kaukau from every which-where for its members who are hungry to be candidates in GE14.
And dedicated Dr Jeyakumar has vowed that PSM will continue its service for the people of Sungai Siput even if they do not hold any position there, saying:“We won’t stop helping the people. We are not a party which gives important for the seats. Our concern is the people, but if we have a seat, then we could serve them better.”
This comes after PKR announced their candidate for the seat. There are concerns within PSM that a multi-cornered fight against Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS will make it difficult to secure a GE14 win.
Incumbent Sungai Siput MP Dr Micheal Jeyakumar from PSM said that a few party members had suggested that he give up the seat.
“Some people in our branch are questioning whether we should stand aside. They said no point in contesting if we are going to lose.
“This is the argument that is going on now, but we have to consult the party and branch members before making any decision,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.
PKR today announced that S. Kesavan, who is the party’s incumbent for Hutang Melintang state seat, will be contesting for the parliamentary seat in GE14.
“It’s quite disappointing because the seat could be won by the Opposition, but now it has turned into a four-cornered fight with PAS contesting as well.
“It’s going to be difficult and all the opposition parties, including PAS are going to lose,” he added.
Dr Jeyakumar admitted that PSM has a slim chance in a four-cornered fight.
Based on PSM's previous complaint, I was expecting the Pakatan source intending to contest in Sungai Siput to come from the DAP. DAP's Perak chairman, Nga Kor Ming, had been threatening to do so in retaliation for PSM voicing its intention to contest in a some DAP-held seats.
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Nga Kor Ming |
But PKR sure threw a curly one from the left field in announcing its candidate in Sungai Siput as S. Kesavan, the 2013 ADUN Hutang Melintang Perak.
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S Kesavan |
I have to admit it is a f**king big surprise for me to discover the 'cruel spoiler' of PSM in Sungai Siput as PKR rather than Perak's DAP. But I believe by Pakatan agreement the federal seat of Sungai Siput has been allocated to PKR, which was why Dr Jeya contested the seat previously under the Blue Moon banner.
Dr Jeya has also been correct in saying that PSM will have a snowflake's chance in hell in a four-cornered fight (involving BN, PAS, PKR and PSM).
Mind, PKR had earlier agreed to let Dr Jeya continue contesting Sungai Siput under the PKR banner, but with the proviso he is the only PSM person standing for elections. PSM naturally refused that restriction.
Even if Dr Jeya were to withdraw from Sungai Siput, I believe PSM members will still contest elsewhere. For sure, Teh Yee Cheu, formerly DAP but now with PSM, will contest in Penang's Sungai Pinang state seat.
But alas, whether Dr Jeya withdraws from contesting in GE14 or not, the result will probably be the same, that he won't be a MP for a third term. I am sorry to see him go but unfortunately, it's the likely outcome for a small party like PSM when the biggies are jostling with each other, even among Pakatan so-called allies.
Mind, PKR had earlier agreed to let Dr Jeya continue contesting Sungai Siput under the PKR banner, but with the proviso he is the only PSM person standing for elections. PSM naturally refused that restriction.
Even if Dr Jeya were to withdraw from Sungai Siput, I believe PSM members will still contest elsewhere. For sure, Teh Yee Cheu, formerly DAP but now with PSM, will contest in Penang's Sungai Pinang state seat.
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Teh Yee Cheu |
But alas, whether Dr Jeya withdraws from contesting in GE14 or not, the result will probably be the same, that he won't be a MP for a third term. I am sorry to see him go but unfortunately, it's the likely outcome for a small party like PSM when the biggies are jostling with each other, even among Pakatan so-called allies.
I had warned earlier that if Pribumi joins Pakatan, there'll be less seats for each component party. And the lion's share Mahathir's party has seized from the Pakatan pool must have added tremendous pressure on PKR (and other Pakatan member parties) to korek kaukau from every which-where for its members who are hungry to be candidates in GE14.
People join a political party usually to be pick as an election candidate so as to represent the people or, for those less than altruistic, to profit personally, whilst others are quite happy to become 'Gurkhas', namely, members who help in the administration, financial and background support.
Nonetheless, there will be constant pressure on political parties to satisfy those who are capable and want to be candidates. The PKR announcement may be a result of such pressure for seats for its keener members, especially now that 'extra mouth' Pribumi has to fed its (lion's) share.
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sungai siput |
Nonetheless, there will be constant pressure on political parties to satisfy those who are capable and want to be candidates. The PKR announcement may be a result of such pressure for seats for its keener members, especially now that 'extra mouth' Pribumi has to fed its (lion's) share.
I wonder whether MIC deputy chairman SK Devamany who is contesting in Sungai Siput will heave an additional sigh of relief? But he will still have to overcome PKR's Kesavan and whoever will be representing PAS.
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S.K Devamany |
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sungai siput |
Pity Dr Jeya is a Christian or I would have nominated the service-oriented man as the new Hindraf Chairman.
Sungai Siput was Samy Vellu's seat for decades.
ReplyDeleteThe effect of UndiRosak is the same aschaving another candidate in the field "Rosak".
ReplyDeleteYou are a UndiRosak promoter , right ? Don't throw stones.
I rosak my undi but najib wins. How does it help me?
DeleteSo i make sure pakatan harapan win big. Najib will commit seppuku. With dead najib, kaytee can come malaysia to fight madhater.
One bird kills 2 stone. With kaytee power, we will live happily ever after
Najib around, kaytee dick is impotent.....how to fight like that.....
😁😁😂😂😎😇
Devamany is one of the Less Bad MIC types.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he should win...wakakaka.
"Pity Dr Jeya is a Christian...." aisehman uncle, why the prejudice? You are a racist? Wakakaka.....
ReplyDeleteapologies Peter maybe I could have worded it differently - I meant to say that Dr Jeya could have made a better Hindraf boss if he is a Hindu
DeleteKtemoc is really just another kind of Religious Bigot..
DeletePeter.....I bet kaytee ws jilted by his ex girlfriend who happened to be a christian.
DeleteThat's what happen to Rumpelstillskin. In his disbelief that the Queen able to know, he kaput himself......
The devil has told you that. The devil has told you that. How I love Brother Grimms' fables
So? Kaytee is demanding lim kit siang to retire and calling him a traitor. What say about kaytee? An arrogant pompous bastard mand child
ReplyDeleteKaytee. Why keep referring to PKR Flag as Blue Moon banner almost similar to PAS Green Moon banner?
ReplyDeleteIt is either Qtr/Half/Full WHITE Moon in colour whether on the Banner or Ballot paper.
PKR banner/flag has always being Blue eye or Black eye in the ballot paper.
Is it a deliberate attempt to confuse old, poor sighted voters about the banners/flags/ballot paper of both PAS and PKR parties?
Wakakakakaka
I thought nostro pig and kaytee are the same. Need a 3rd fella to complete trinity
DeleteLooks like a blue vagina to me or a blue anus.
Deletewakakakakaka!
So IT sheiss is actually nostro pig......predicting the demise of DAP. You are making Monster and HY very happy
DeleteSheiss,
DAP demise will make PKR and Madhater even stronger....never say never tell u
OK. Sungai Siput federal constituenct, created in 1964, has been an Alliance/MIC and later a BN/MIC seat, which Dr. Jeyakumar won in 2008 and 2013 by slim majorities of 51.50% and 53.19% respectively against BN/MIC.
ReplyDeleteIn 1999, contesting under the DAP banner, Dr. Jeyakumar narrowed Samy Vellu's previous majority by winning 40.38% of the votes, which dropped to 28.37% (now running under the PKR ticket) in 2004 versus Samy Vellu (62.19%) and Sanmugam Ponmugam Ponnan of the DAP (9.44%).
The only times the opposition came close to beating BN/MIC was in 1990 when Patto Perumal of the DAP got 46.75% of the vote, in 1974 when Patto Perumal got 45.59% and in 1969 when Ramiah Veerappan of the PPP got 49.54% versus V.T. Sambanthan of Alliance/MIC.
Sungai Siput is a very much an Indian-oriented constituency where th Chinese DAP candidates have done poorly, as has PAS, though PAS is still contesting Sungai Siput in 2018.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sungai_Siput_(federal_constituency)
The question is how well known in Sungai Siput is K. Kesavan of PKR. Dr. Jeyakumar has worked hard there since even before the 1999 general elections, lost to Samy Vellu twice before he won in 2008 and held the seat in 2013, in both cases marginally. BN/MIC is strong here, so minus Dr. Jeyakumar, BN/MIC could quite likely win it back, even marginally.
I was up in Sungai Siput to be one of the footsoldiers helping in Dr. Jeyakumar campaign and PSM were faced by intimidation by pro-MIC gangsters whom PSM leaders constantly had to negotiate with and try to pacify.
The evening before the election, a huge BN/MIC procession filed down the road in front of the PSM/DAP operations centre.
I feel that since Dr. Jeyakumar and PSM has done so much work in Sungai Siput to win it for the past two terms, they should at least contest, even if they lose, and then they can continue doing work (mostly local NGO work) amongst the people of Sungai Siput, whether BN/MIC or PKR wins the seat.
A socialist party, as a party committed to defend and serve the interests of the workers, marginalised and the oppressed, should only make way in elections, for another socialist or social democratic which has similar objectives either mostly or partially.
The PKR's originated from a faction of Malay capitalists within UMNO which fell out with the dominat faction of Malay capitalists within UMNO (atthe time) and now this UMNO faction outside of UMNO has become multi-ethnic and now opposes BN/UMNO but what if it wins, what will it do for the workers, the marginalised and oppressed apart from a few populist carrots such as abolishing the GST, abolishing highway tolls, allowing the public full freedom to assemble and protest peacefully, increase the minimum wage and so forth. Meanwhile, PKR has accepted into Pakatan Harapan, that faction within UMNO which booted its founder out of UMNO, then recently left or got booted out of UMNO.
PKR is not sociaist or social democratic by any stretch of the imagination, so PSM should stand its ground and contest for the sake of socialist principle and its supporters in Sungai Siput, even if it loses, instead of giving up on defending its gains without a fight and then serving as a sidekick role supporting PKR.
pkr is party keadilan + party rakyat, the malay socialist.
Deletethe problem with us is we have indian socialist, chinese socialist n malay socialist, exactly the malaysia way.
we need a Boestaman's Socialist Front (Labour Party + Partai Rakyat Socialis Malaysia) (lembu plus cangkol & pen)
Delete"pkr is party keadilan + party rakyat, the malay socialist."
DeleteYes, Parti Rakyat is Malay socialist but in the late 1990s it dropped the "Sosialis" from Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia to just Parti Rakyat Malaysia nd this resulted in the break away of socialists in PSRM who disagreed who later formed the Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
Much of their socialism was related to Malaya's struggle for independence, so despite mention of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao and so forth in their political rhetoric and statements, they are actually more left social democrats rather than "Marxist-Leninist" which they claim to be.
Whilst most members of PRM, including Dr. Syed Husin Ali, voted for PRM to merge with Keadilan to form PKR, however they forgot to deregister PRM, so a rump of members who did not agree with the merger took over and revived PRM, which from its website and statements appears to be very much associated with foreign human rights and other NGOs, much like PSM is too, so these two are more like NGOs than political parties.
"we need a Boestaman's Socialist Front"
DeleteYes we should but a latter day Socialist Front will very likely be very different from the Socialist Front back then,much like the very much yuppiefied DAP of today isn't like the DAP of yesteryear which had a stronger following amongst the trade unions and the industrial and manual workers.
Good! That's the right stand. It would be a betrayal of all who had worked hard for PSM in Sungai Siput since even before the 1999 GE.
ReplyDeleteSince you wish for the demise for DAP, I say bye bye PSM. Meanwhile Najib is still in power.
DeleteIf you are not kaytee double, I wonder.....Worth it? Hahahaha.....
I thought PH has decided to give PSM the Sg. Siput seat by contesting under the PKR banner PROVIDED PSM do not stand in other seats and split votes in their aim to win the State/Federal Govt.
ReplyDeleteWhat has PSM achieved for the long long past 20 years by working the ground? Have they improved the socialist ideals of the workers and peasants there?
Isn't it clear nothing much has changed for 20+ years when dealing with the BN Govt even after winning the seat?
How many more years will it take before PSM realise that the real change can only happen when their representatives voices can be heard in the Govt. and Parliament?
What does all these say about PSM strategy and motives?
It would be better if PSM quits politics and become a full fledged NGO if the struggle leads to nowhere and politics is beyond their playground.
Fact : What did PSM acheive before 1999 GE? Before the emergence of anwar Ibrahim in the opposition circle.
DeleteAs usual, spinning more straws into gold
Most PSM members are simply politicos who are opposed to BN, but also cannot stand DAP, PKR etc.
ReplyDeleteMajority are Indians.
Most are really fogged up, muddled in their political thinking.
Ask kaytee what happen to pekemas. Why tsg move from pekemas to dap
Delete