Xavier, who is with PKR, said PSM should have taken the offer to let them contest one parliamentary seat (Sungai Siput) under our logo.
“But they insisted on getting state seats as well, which we ourselves have struggled to hold on to in Selangor. They put us in a very difficult position and this is all we can do,” he said.
The four state seats that PSM wished to contest were seats eyed by the DAP “and the DAP is firm with its stand on those seats,” he told FMT.
PSM’s Michael Devaraj Jeyakumar was elected MP for Sungai Siput in 2008 and 2013, both times contesting on a PKR ticket. For the coming general election, PSM has said that the party wanted to contest a minimum of two parliamentary and four state seats as part of a common front with Pakatan Harapan.
This was stated at a meeting with PH chief secretary Saifuddin Abdullah and PKR’s R Sivarasa before Parliament was dissolved.
PSM secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam had earlier stated that there had been no feedback on the request and the party would contest on its own.
Xavier noted that there were now fewer seats available to go around because the opposition alliance now comprised four parties instead of three.
“The number of seats availabe for each party has shrunk. If PSM is going to ask for two parliamentary seats and state seats, it is just not possible if you look at the strength of our party compared to theirs.”
Pakatan Harapan comprises DAP, PKR, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
PAS has formed a coalition of its own called Gagasan Sejahtera.
Asked whether three-cornered fights between PH, Barisan Nasional and PSM would favour the BN in seats such as Sungai Siput and Cameron Highlands, Xavier said it might be the case in Sungai Siput but not anywhere else.
“They might be right about Sungai Siput but any other seat, I am not so sure.”
PSM will announce the party’s line-up of candidates on April 19. It has announced two non-member candidates so far.
Party candidates wouild vie for the parliamentary seats of Batu Gajah, Hulu Langat, Cameron Highlands, Subang and Sungai Siput and the 12 state seats in Selangor and Perak: Bukit Lanjan, Jelai, Port Klang, Tronoh, Buntong, Sri Muda, Kota Lama, Menglembu, Semenyih, Jelapang, Kota Damansara and Malim Nawar.
Analysts have said that BN stands to win in Cameron Highlands and Sungai Siput if there are three-cornered fights.
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