In a statement, Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said their campaign will revolve around persuading constituents to vote against the Umno candidate.

He said the decision to campaign for PSM was to send the government a strong message over the “shabby treatment” of Indians and non-Malays.

Ramasamy, a former Penang assemblyman, went on to say that PSM’s decision to contest the seat should not be determined by the likelihood of winning.

He said democracy does not boil down to winning or losing as it was about participation, expression and the shaping of public discourse.

“Even if PSM doesn’t secure the seat, the votes it does receive will be a clear signal of growing dissatisfaction among the subaltern classes towards a government perceived to be serving the interests of the elite and well-connected.”

On Tuesday, PSM named lawyer-activist KS Bawani as its candidate for the Ayer Kuning by-election, deeming her to be the most suitable candidate to take on Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional as she was born and raised in the constituency.

Bawani lost to Ishsam Shahruddin of BN in her previous attempt to win the same state seat in the 15th general election. She only garnered 586 votes to Ishsam’s 9,088 in a five-cornered contest.

The Ayer Kuning by-election was called following Ishsam’s death on Feb 22. He won the seat in GE15 with a 2,213-vote majority.

Tapah Umno secretary Yusri Bakir has been named as BN’s candidate for the Ayer Kuning by-election while PN has named Abdul Muhaimin Malek of PAS.