IPOH, Jan 15 — A high-level team led by PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will meet Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s (PSM) Dr D. Michael Jeyakumar soon to discuss the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.
A source from PKR said if the two-term MP was adamant in contesting the seat under the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) banner, PKR would have no choice but to send in its own candidate to contest in the coming general election, which would end up hurting the opposition coalition.
“It is a catch-22 situation for us. We need to face our members if we give up the seat to PSM,” he said.
The source added that fellow Pakatan Harapan member DAP had previously expressed their interest to contest in the seat.
“But they decided against it and leave it to PKR to contest,” he said.
The source claimed that Dr Jeyakumar may face an uphill task in retaining the seat if he insisted on contesting under PSM banner.
“Voters are for established parties – either Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan,” he added.
Indian and Chinese voters make up about 70 per cent of the Sungai Siput electorate while Malays form the remaining 30 per cent.
Dr Jeyakumar, a PSM central committee member, won the seat in 2008 when he defeated former MIC president Tun S. Samy Vellu.
He retained the seat in 2013 when he beat MIC deputy president Datuk Seri S. K. Devamany.
Besides Sungai Siput, PSM has said it will contest a total of 20 parliamentary and state seats.
