JOHOR BAHRU, June 25 — Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has named Amir Syafiq Ameer Soekre as its sole candidate for the Johor state election, where he will contest the Skudai state seat.

PSM deputy chairperson S. Arutchelvan said the decision to field only one candidate in the Johor polls was made due to the high cost of elections and to allow the party to focus its efforts on a constituency with the potential to make an impact on its political struggle.

He said Skudai was chosen because it is an urban constituency facing various issues related to workers and housing, in line with PSM’s agenda of championing the people’s concerns.

“Elections are costly, and larger parties generally have greater resources at their disposal. As such, PSM has chosen to contest a strategic constituency where it believes it can make the greatest impact,” he told a press conference introducing the party’s candidate for the Johor state election today.

According to him, the decision to contest only one seat is also part of a gradual strategy to strengthen the progressive bloc while testing public acceptance of the political alternative offered by PSM.

Amir Syafiq, 40, who is PSM Johor secretary and a workers’ rights activist, has 15 years of experience in sales and marketing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Business Management from Teesside University. — Bernama