SELANGOR Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has said the Kota Damansara candidacy clash between PSM and PAS has yet to be resolved due to “ideological differences” between the two parties.

NONE “We need a few more days to discuss, especially because of the ideological difference between PAS and PSM,” Anwar told reporters today.

Confident the matter will be resolved soon, Anwar (right) today also added that PSM should concede its claim over two other seats - the Semenyih and Jelapang state seats.

This is because, the PKR de facto leader said, the socialist party was accorded one parliament and one state seat under the PKR ticket, in the form of Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara respectively.

Currently, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan had submitted his candidacy for Semenyih while party deputy chairperson M Sarasvathy did so for Jelapang.

This lead to multi-cornered fights there between PSM, Pakatan and BN.

'Big sacrifice for PKR'

Anwar describe PKR’s decision to hand over the two seats to PSM as a “big sacrifice for PKR”.

“It was a tough decision and we (PKR) have to work hard to win the concession from the Pakatan component parties,” he said.

It will be difficult said Anwar, for PKR to fight for PSM to get more beyond the hard worn concession Pakatan already gave to them.

NONE Pakatan had earlier agreed to allow PSM to field its candidate for Kota Damansara, the incumbent Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim ( right ), there under its banner.

However, nomination day saw PAS’ Ridzuan Ismail also successfully submitting his nomination papers.

Mohd Nasir had won the Malay-majority seat in 2008, also under a PKR ticket, with a 1,075-vote majority over an Umno candidate.

At a ceramah in Kuala Terengganu last weekend, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had clearly said that PAS cannot work with parties that professes an ideology related to communism .

While not mentioning PSM, he referred to those that hung posters of communist leaders like Karl Marx at their offices.

PSM had issued a statement asking Hadi to clarify what he meant and if they are the he was referring to.

PSM is a socialist party which has similar ideological roots as communism, an ideology which Hadi claimed is outlawed in Malaysia.

Meanwhile he also hit out at the Election Commission (EC) following the latter’s announcement that no candidates can withdraw once nominated successfully, and that their party symbols and name will still appear on the ballot.

"I don't understand why things must be this way.

“If the party agrees and the candidate agrees, they should be able to withdraw as there is a long enough period for notification," he argued.

PAS: PKR's candidates do not conform

He said that PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had also issued official letters cancelling the watikah or authority letters for party candidates to be withdrawn, but the EC still refuses to remove those running in the seats concerned.

PAS and PKR had yesterday settled the issue of overlapping candidacy between the Pakatan allies in six seats, with PAS being ceded three Terengganu state seats; Seberang Takir , Bukit Besi and Kota Putera .

Meanwhile, PAS will give PKR free run for the Labuan parliamentary seat, as well as Panti (Johor) and Sungai Acheh (Penang) state seats.

Anwar added that as the EC refuses to leave out the names from the ballot, Pakatan will run a contingency plan which will call for PKR machinery and nominated candidate in the seats ceded to PAS to run the ceramah circuit expressing support for the Islamic party.

NONE "They will plead for supporters to vote for the PAS candidate who are the offical Pakatan representative," he said, adding PAS candidates and machinery in the seats given over to PKR will do the same.

In the ceramah in Kuala Terengganu last week, Hadi ( left ) had explained that PAS had to step in to field its own candidates, due to miscommunication and misunderstandings.

He also said there were complaints that PKR's candidates in the disputed seats do not conform to Pakatan’s aspirations and are suspect, citing suspicions of involvement in nefarious activities and unsuitable parachuted individuals.

PKR, meanwhile, had issued statements denying any improper conduct on the part of their candidates.

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