A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the question of whether the DAP will allow leaders of the yet-to-be-registered Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to contest in the four seats they are eyeing in the coming general election.

Two senior DAP leaders malaysiakini spoke to today offered no clear answer to the question.

DAP central executive committee member Tan Kok Wai, who now heads the party's seat negotiation team, dismissed calls for the party to give PSM a chance for a straight fight with the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Tan, who is Cheras member of parliament, argued that DAP too deserved to field its candidates in areas where PSM is said to be gaining support.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We have started working in all the areas that we want to contest," he told malaysiakini.

Kua's suggestion

Tan was commenting on a suggestion made by former DAP MP for Petaling Jaya, Dr Kua Kia Soong, that DAP make way for PSM in the four seats to avoid a three-cornered fight.

According to Kua, a vocal social critic, PSM's request for two parliamentary seats - Sungai Siput (Perak) and Subang (Selangor) - and two state seats - Jalong (Perak) and Bukit Lanjan (Selangor) - was "reasonable".

Kua, who is a director of human rights group Suaram, depicted the PSM candidates as "giants in an otherwise lackluster political landscape".and "a rare breed of politicians who do not emit any odour of opportunism".

He said the party should be given a chance to contest in the next polls as they have been consistently working in the areas they are eyeing.

But DAP treasurer Fong Kui Lun, who is also a member of the party's negotiation team, hinted that the party might be willing to consider PSM's request.

"It is still open for discussion. After all, we allowed them (PSM) to contest in Sungai Siput in the last general election," said Fong, who is MP for Bukit Bintang.

However, Fong was quick to add that the final decision rested with the party's powerful central executive committee.

In the 1999 elections, PSM fielded its vice-president Dr D Jeyakumar in Sungai Siput under the DAP banner.

PSM's criteria

On the Subang parliamentary seat in Selangor, Keadilan has agreed to give way to PSM pro tem president Dr Mohd Nasir Mohd Hashim to contest there.

Mohd Nasir said PSM's criteria for choosing seats were based on "actual work done for the people".

He said PSM was not adamant about the issue as long as there were candidates from the opposition who were truly committed to the people's struggles.

For example, he added, PSM has decided to let PAS contest the Kota Damansara (Selangor) - one of the three state seats within the Subang parliamentary constituency - as "they have a really good candidate".

"Our selection (for seats) is not based on racial composition, which is so often done by other parties.

"We believe as long as you do work for the people, anyone would vote for you, regardless of their racial or religious background," said the former Internal Security Act detainee.

"We are not pushing for any seats. If other parties can prove that they have a better candidate, we are willing to give way," added Mohd Nasir, who is a former university lecturer.