Pakatan Rakyat has decided to set up a committee to meet with PSM leaders to discuss the latter’s application to join the coalition.

This is despite PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution’s insistence that there is no room for PSM in Pakatan.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said that the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council decided this during its meeting at the PAS headquarters this morning.

NONE Anwar  ( right ) said that as far as Pakatan is concerned, PSM can join if it endorses the common policy framework.

“If there is a problem with economic and social policies then there is a problem as DAP, PAS and PKR would have to agree about this with them,” he said.

Anwar said that it is hoped that the meeting can happen “sometime next week”, but this is subject to change as Parliament will convene.

Asked about Saifuddin's statement, as reported by Free Malaysia Today this morning, Anwar said that the PKR secretary general was also in the Pakatan meeting and his views were considered.

PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub, meanwhile, said the meeting with PSM on Tuesday was "very good and very fruitful".

"We gave our commitment that PAS is always open (to suggestions) and that we will make a decision on any issues cropping from this after discussing with Pakatan," he said.

PSM and PAS had met to clear the air about statement made by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang purportedly saying that PAS cannot support a party which practices Marxism.

This was when PSM chairperson Nasir Hashim who contested on the PKR ticket, defended the Kota Damansara seat against a PAS candidate in a multi-corner fight. Nasir came up second behind BN, followed by PAS.

Compulsory for PAS members

On a separate matter, Salahuddin said that the June 22 Kuala Lumpur leg of the Black 505 protest rally at Padang Merbok is "compulsory" for all PAS members.

 "We are steadfast in our commitment and PAS has issued a statement that the rally is compulsory for all members nationwide," he said.

NONE He added that Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Yusof's statement that the fact that the indelible ink washed off as the saddest moment in his life is "unacceptable".

"We cannot forgive him at all. Before he said it's because the polling clerks didn't shake the (ink bottle). The he blamed the supplier.

"After that he said that medical experts warned against cancer-causing properties (in the ink) and now he regrets that it washed off," he said.

The rally is to demand the resignation of Abdul Aziz, his deputy and election commissioners, the appointment of a new EC and for a re-election to be held under this new EC.

It is also to call for the ongoing re-delineation exercise to be postponed until new commissioners are elected.

Abdul Aziz and EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, however, have refused to resign, with Wan Ahmad arguing that they had successfully done their jobs.