The Parti Sosialis Malaysia's (PSM) 15th party congress has decided to continue negotiations with Pakatan Rakyat to join the coalition.

"PSM is prepared to continue its dialogue with Pakatan on basis of mutual respect," the party said on its Twitter account.

PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan at bar council forum 1 The party's secretary-general S Arutchelvan ( right ) told Malaysiakini the party's membership in Pakatan is not in its own hands because it requires the coalition's approval.

"Therefore we shall continue the negotiations and it (joining Pakatan) is dependent on the results of the negotiation," he said.

However, he stressed that at the same time, PSM would move to from a "left-wing coalition backed by organisations such as Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), to "fighting neoliberal and capitalist forces".

The three-day congress, which ended today, started on June 28 in Cameron Highlands.

Among other resolutions, it resolved to change its membership system from a controlled membership system to an open membership system.

The same congress also decided that PSM would contest on its own logo in the next general election, having contested on PAS' and PKR's tickets in the previous one.