PSM will not contest in Kajang by-election

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will stay out of the Kajang by-election which will be held on March 23 as the party felt the reason for the by-election did not make sense.

PSM president Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim said the decision not to contest in the by-election is the best decision made by the party for now.

“We believe the reason for the by-election was unacceptable and a waste of the people’s money,” he said in a press conference at the PSM headquarters, Wednesday.

Without supporting either the Barisan Nasional or the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, he said the party left it to the people of Kajang to decide.

The Kajang state seat was left vacant after its incumbent Lee Chin Cheh of PKR tendered his resignation as the state assemblyman on January 27.

On January 28, PKR named its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate for the by-election.

The Election Commision (EC) has last week, announced March 11 as the nomination day for the by-election while advance voting for police and military personnel has been set on March 19.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said the constituency had 39,208 registered voters with 637 election workers appointed to handle the election process.

Abdul Aziz who had estimated the cost of holding the Kajang by-election at RM1.6 million, added that the type and method of indelible ink used in Kajang would be the same as that used in the Kuala Besut and Sungai Limau by-elections.

The writ of election will be issued on Feb 5 while the election notice will be issued on Feb. 6.