PSM: We’ve not heard of any third coalition

Arutchelvan stresses the importance of avoiding three-corner fights in the next election.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) officials have denied knowledge of any proposal for a third political coalition said to be spearheaded by PKR dissidents.

The party’s secretary-general, S Arutchelvan, and one of its central committee members, Michael Jeyakumar , told FMT no one from the rumoured coalition had contacted any PSM official.

They were commenting on a recent news report that said that PKR dissidents would work with PAS and invite PSM and other parties not affiliated with Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan into the proposed coalition. The report, quoting an anonymous source, said the PKR dissidents had formed a breakaway party whose registration had been “virtually finalised.”

Arutchelvan appeared uncomfortable with the idea of a third coalition. He warned that it would reduce the chances of ousting Barisan Nasional from Putrajaya because there will be three-corner fights in the general election.

“If you want to beat BN, you need to have a broad coalition that will take in everybody, including parties in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. “If you can’t form such a coalition, then you need to have an electoral understanding to ensure that there’s no three-corner fight.”

He said PSM’s position was that it was willing to work with other political parties to defeat BN in the next general election.

On the question of joining a coalition, he said, PSM would have to get back to its members and leave the decision to them.

“A coalition needs to have a clear common policy which everyone is comfortable with,” he added. “If not, it will be defunct like what happened to Pakatan Rakyat, Barisan Alternatif and all the coalitions before this.

“So if there’s to be a new coalition, there has to be proper discussion and then we can decide on whether or not we agree with it.”