There will be a three-corner fight for the Jalong state seat in Perak unless PSM leaders can convince opposition DAP to rescind their decision to contest.

Yesterday, DAP announced that it will contest in Jalong much to the chagrin of PSM

PSM believes that its candidate should be allowed to take on Barisan Nasional as the former fared better than DAP in the last elections which also witnessed s three-way fight for the seat.

arutchelvan psm interview 010208 pan "For this reason alone, DAP should give the seat to us. We have proved ourselves that we are the better force in Jalong in the last elections," PSM pro-tem secretary-general S Arutchelvan told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

The press conference was held to announce the party’s candidates for the March 8 general election and to unveil PSM’s election manifesto.

Arutchelvan said a straight fight would ensure a stronger challenge from the opposition and avoid a split in votes.

He said he and other party leaders have talked to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng about the matter and asked DAP to reconsider its decision.

However, he said Lim had asked them to discuss the matter with DAP Perak. "When we go there, DAP Perak will instead tell us to consult with Lim again," he added.

"We will wait for a few days and see what DAP has to say and if comes down to having to fight three ways, we are ready and we are fearless.

"For the sake of defeating BN, I hope they (DAP) can see some sense in what we are trying to do in Jalong," he added.

Vying for four seats

Meanwhile, Arutchelvan said PSM will contest in one parliament seat and three state seats in Perak and Selangor respectively.

For Selangor, its pro-tem chairperson Nasir Hashim will contest in the Kota Damansara state seat whereas Arutchelvan will contest in the Semenyih state seat.

psm election candidate announcement 200208 sarasvathy For Perak, the Sungai Siput parliament seat will be contested by pro-tem central committee member Dr D Jeyakumar whereas the Jalong seat will be contested by deputy chairperson G Sarasvathy ( left ).

As PSM is an unregistered party, the Selangor seats would be contested under the PKR banner.

In Perak, the party is still waiting for PKR to give a go-ahead to contest under its banner in the Sungai Siput seat. However the situation is less clearer in Jalong as PSM is still in negotiation with DAP to avoid a three-cornered fight.

PSM also revealed its seven-point election manifesto:

- Workers’ rights will be safeguarded (e.g. minimum wage, automatic recognition of workers unions and 90 day maternal leave)

- The eradication of neo-liberal policies (e.g. halting privatisation of health care, education and other public necessities)

- Stopping the Free Trade Agreement with western imperial powers

- Provide comfortable and humane housing for both rural and urban inhabitants

- Stopping racial and religious politics to foster greater unity among the people

- Eradication of corruption and abuse of power

- Stopping the destruction of the environment

The party’s candidates also declared their assets to the media as an indicator that the party is serious in fostering the culture of transparency when it comes to their elected representatives.

"We hope that members of other opposition parties will follow us so that the notion of clean and uncorrupt candidates will not be mere words and political gimmicks to rake in votes," said Arutchelvan.