Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said that while PSM managed to double its vote count in the Ayer Kuning by-election from its haul in the 2022 general election, the party still lacked Malay support.
PSM must look to attract a broader base of voters to boost its political standing, going beyond being outspoken in championing issues plaguing farmers and estate workers.
“According to unofficial statistics from political parties, only 46 Malays voted for them in Ayer Kuning. This shows that the stigma of socialism is still strong (among the Malays).
“To be a serious third force, PSM must rebrand and be able to attract members across ethnic and class lines,” said Azmi.
Known for championing farmers, plantation workers and marginalised communities, PSM has only ever won one parliamentary seat, namely the Sungai Siput constituency when Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj was elected MP in 2008 and 2013 on PKR tickets.
He failed to defend the seat in the 2018 general election and lost to PKR’s S Kesavan, after PSM failed to reach an electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan.
PSM and youth party Muda formed an alliance for the 2023 six state elections, but both parties suffered heavy defeats with all of their candidates losing their deposits.
Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said PSM’s “socialist” label remained a major stumbling block as many Malaysians still equated socialism with communism.
He said socialism remained “a hard sell, especially among rural and even urban voters”.
Sivamurugan said PSM lacked logistics, campaign machinery and manpower to mount a strong campaign, even though its candidate in Ayer Kuning picked up more votes.
“They are still very much limited in terms of strength compared with other political parties.”
Separately, Urimai chairman P Ramasamy praised PSM for its commitment to addressing class inequality, crediting the party with doing a stellar job in championing issues involving the working class.
However, the former Penang DAP leader advised PSM to widen its focus, saying it cannot escape the political reality that the main fault lines in Malaysia were ethnicity, religion and culture.
“If they want broader appeal, they must also address national concerns like racial and cultural discrimination. Socialism looks at class inequality but racial discrimination is also part of discrimination,” he said.
While PSM’s focus on land rights and farmers was commendable, Ramasamy said, expanding its voter base by taking on urban issues and the grievances of minorities could strengthen its position as a third force.
“The class contradiction is real but it’s not the only contradiction that matters in Malaysian politics,” he said.