The news that Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), a once-formidable but now minuscule presence in Malaysian politics, will field a candidate in the Permatang Pauh by-election was denied by the party’s head in Penang.

PRM secretary-general Koh Swee Yong was quoted by an English daily today as saying that they will field a candidate in the poll scheduled for May 7. Saturday is nomination day.

“This is news to me,” said Gary Nair, the party’s chief in Penang widely known by the sobriquet ‘Tandok’, an obvious reference to the horns of a bull which adorns the PRM emblem.

Koh was quoted as saying in the newspaper report that the party will field a former civil servant who is now a businessman and is supposedly well-known in the constituency.

To this, Nair ( right ) remarked, “We do not have a presence in Permatang Pauh and the Penang division of PRM was not consulted on the matter.”

He elaborated: “When I read the story I called a central committee member in Kuala Lumpur, who told me the matter was discussed in the party but the idea of fielding a candidate was rejected.”

Nair said he understood the grounds for rejection.

“For us the common enemy is BN, so what are we doing trying to field a candidate?’ he queried.

Nair speculated that the only way PRM could field a candidate would be in allowing someone who wants to contest but does not have a party to contest under the PRM banner.

“That would be to invite trouble because if the Penang division were to be invited by Pakatan Rakyat to campaign for the PKR candidate, we would join in and that would mean we would be campaigning against our party’s supposed candidate,” envisaged Nair.

“Better we stay out of the fray and campaign for our friends in Pakatan,” he advised.