PSM not contesting in Kajang by-election

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 12, 2014): Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will not be contesting the Kajang by-election as it considers the move by the PKR assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh to quit the state seat as ethically wrong and a waste of taxpayers' money.
PSM chairman Dr Nasir Hashim said PKR has set a bad precedent by triggering the by-election to settle an internal dispute, adding that it was also illogical.
"Therefore, we will not participate in the by-election that we do not approve of and where an assemblyman (Lee) resigned without a valid reason. If Umno-Barisan Nasional did the same thing, I think we (PSM) along with Pakatan Rakyat would have condemned the action as it is unprincipled and unethical," he said at a press conference here today.
Nasir said the party also did not want to split the votes that may otherwise go to the opposition and did not want to give BN any chance of winning.
Nasir said the decision was also made after getting the views of PSM members and considering the recommendations from the leaders of Pakatan Rakyat.
He said PSM, as a partner in the opposition pact, had no intention of dividing the votes in the Kajang by-election, as was seen in the Kota Damansara and Semenyih state seats during the 13th general election.
It was earlier reported that PSM would field a candidate in the by-election for the Kajang state seat to "teach the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) a lesson".