If revamp means mimicking mainstream parties, no thanks, says PSM
PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan said the party has already undergone a rebranding of sorts over the years, steadily increasing its membership with a much more balanced multiracial makeup.
PETALING JAYA : Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has acknowledged calls for the party to rebrand itself in order to improve its political standing, but insists that it would rather stick to its principles than join the political mainstream.
PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan said suggestions that the party rebrand were not new and had been raised on multiple occasions by PSM members. However, he questioned what an effective revamp of PSM would entail.
Responding to analysts, he said it was true that PSM lacked Malay support but asked if this meant it should only champion issues concerning that particular ethnic group.
'PSM can instantly become the champion of one ethnicity but fail to be champion of all. Is this the kind of rebranding which PSM needs, which other race-based parties are very capable of?
'Should PSM shelve its grassroots work, which other parties don't do, and only focus on sensational issues that can instantly put us in the limelight?
'Does a left-wing party move to the right to get votes, or do we stand our ground, keep to our principles and gain support in the long run?
'I understand that many 'thinking Malaysians' want us to win because of our work and principles. But will they be with us if we rebrand ourselves like the mainstream parties in Malaysia today?' Arutchelvan, also known as Arul, told FMT.
He said PSM had already undergone a rebranding of sorts over the years, transitioning from a party that mostly represented plantation workers and urban settlers to championing various issues of public interest.
'Over the years, PSM has steadily increased its membership with a much more balanced multiracial makeup.
'It has championed many policy-level issues, from climate change, pensions for the elderly, affordable housing and better healthcare for all.'
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara had said PSM must look to attract a broader base of voters across ethnic and class lines, particularly the Malays, in order to become a formidable third force.
Universiti Sains Malaysia's Sivamurugan Pandian, meanwhile, said PSM lacked logistics, campaign machinery and manpower to mount a strong campaign while its 'socialist' label was a hindrance as many Malaysians still equated socialism with communism.
Arutchelvan said Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia sought to shed the 'socialist' label in 1990 when it changed its name to Parti Rakyat Malaysia, but has not enjoyed any election wins.
He added that most Malaysians now had no issue with being involved in trade with China and Vietnam, which are governed by the Chinese Communist Party and Communist Party of Vietnam, respectively.
'Sivamurugan said PSM lacks logistics, campaign machinery and manpower to mount a strong campaign. Does that mean PSM has to rely on corporate funding like the bigger parties?
'Perhaps now the analyst will understand why most of the issues championed by PSM, like minimum wage, public healthcare and public housing, are not shared by the other major political parties.
'It goes against their funders' interests,' he said.
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