New Straits Times, 4 August 2008
IPOH: Disappointed with the Perak state government's failure to include its nominees as local councillors, the yet-to-be registered Parti Sosialis Malaysia has called for elections to determine representation at the local council level. "If the Perak state government can hold elections to choose village heads, I do not see why it cannot introduce elections at the local authority level," PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvam said.
He said PSM had submitted the names of four people to the office of Nga Kor Ming, the state executive councillor in charge of local government portfolio, as candidates for the Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council.
However, the state government did not include the four, with Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin saying that the list of candidates had already been finalised by the time the administration received the names from PSM.
Arutchelvam, who was speaking to the NST at the party's ceramah here on Saturday night, insisted that the names were sent before the deadline set by the state government.
"I don't buy the menteri besar's story that we submitted our name list late. I am very disappointed with the state government for not appointing PSM members as councillors... what the state government did was a political decision."
Arutchelvam, who is a Kajang municipal councillor, said PSM was not considered by PR component parties in Perak because the local councillors' quota for political parties had already been divided among DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pas. Others who had protested over the selection of the 338 local councillors were the Ipoh Ratepayers and Taxpayers Association and the Hindu Rights Action Force.
"This round, a lot of people have been disappointed with the way local councillors were appointed. To avoid heartaches, the state government should hold local council elections.
"Let the people decide who they want as their local representatives," Arutchelvam said.
He reminded the DAP, the dominant partner in the PR state government, to walk its talk by holding local council elections to elect the mayor, local council presidents and local councillors.
On the PR-PSM relationship, he said PSM was not averse to joining PR but would study its programmes before deciding.
On the registration of the party, he said PSM had resubmitted its application to the Registrar of Societies on July 25.