KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — PKR’s Kajang move was made in the interests of Selangor voters, Rafizi Ramli reiterated, after opposition ally Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) labelled the upcoming by-election as unethical.

Rafizi, PKR political strategist and architect of PKR’s maneuver in the town, said the party was entitled to its own opinions and decisions.

PKR’s Lee Chin Cheh resigned from his post as state assemblyman for Kajang unexpectedly, triggering a by-election in which Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim plans to contest.

Anwar, who leads PKR and PR as the de facto chief, is tipped to take over the post of mentri besar from Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim should he win the Kajang by-election.

“It is their right not to contest. It is their opinion that it is ethically wrong... which we respect,” the PKR strategist said of PSM.

At a press conference on Wednesday, PSM announced that it will not stand in the Kajang by-election and that it will not support PKR, calling the poll “ethically wrong”.

“But then of course, each party makes a decision based on what they think is in the interest of the public,” Rafizi told The Malay Mail Online.

“We (PKR) think it is in the interest of the public and Selangor folk... in spite of the unconventional way of approaching it,” he added.

Rafizi then reminded PSM of its decision in 2013 to “insist” on multi-cornered fights in Semenyih and Kota Damansara, which he said was the party’s idea of “public interest” at the time.

PSM’s decision split the opposition vote.

He said just like how Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had disagreed with PSM’s concept of “public interest” during Election 2013, the party is now entitled to disagree with PKR’s Kajang move.

“As much as they thought it was their conventional wisdom to spoil the opposition’s vote in the last election, we respect it... and they should also respect that it is our wisdom to do what we think is in the interest of the public,” Rafizi said.

PSM chairman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim told reporters on Wednesday that the party “does not wish to contest in a by-election that we ourselves do not bless.”

“PSM also does not wish to divide the votes,” he added.

PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan, who was also at the same news conference, said the party will not be endorsing any candidate, including from PR.

Arutchelvan was tipped to contest in the Selangor state seat, with campaign posters bearing his name circulating on social media.

According to a 2013 electoral roll, Kajang has a total of 39,278 registered voters. Of those, 48 per cent are Malay, 41 per cent Chinese and 10 per cent Indian.

The Election Commission has set March 23 as the date for the Kajang by-election, giving all parties 12 days to canvass for votes after nomination day on March 11.