ADUN SPEAKS | I think it is unnecessary for DAP and PSM to squabble over who is going to contest the parliamentary seat of Sungai Siput, once the stronghold of BN.

Lately, there have been some sharp exchanges between the leaders of both parties as to who will be contesting in this seat.

DAP's Sungkai assemblyperson A Sivanesan came out with a statement saying that he might be contesting the seat even though he is considered an underdog.

PSM leader D Michael Jeyakumar has been contesting the parliamentary seat from 1999 onwards.

He lost in the general elections in 1999 and 2004 but won the seat under the PKR ticket in 2008 and 2013. However, PSM has made it known that in the coming general election, it would be contesting the seat under party's logo and not PKR banner.

DAP has always claimed the seat, but through compromise with PKR, gave it up for Jeyakumar (photo) to contest.

Sadly, the good relations between DAP and PSM that were present before in the 2008 and 2013 general elections are absent.

This could be the reason why PSM has not been accepted into the fold of Pakatan Harapan, although I am not sure whether the party has made any formal application.

The statement coming from some PSM leaders that the party would be contesting in its concentration areas has not gone well with DAP leaders.

There are rumours that PSM might be contesting in areas where DAP had lost a few hundred votes in the last election, especially in the parliamentary constituency of Cameron Highlands.

If this happens, and even if PSM receives a few hundred votes, the chances for DAP to win Cameron Highlands might be slim.

In the last election in 2013, DAP candidate M Manoharan, lost by a few hundred votes to MIC's G Palanivel.

As contradictions sharpen between both the parties, DAP being a bigger and more powerful party has been accused of "bullying" a small party like PSM.

Perak DAP leader Nga Kor Ming replied by saying that it was not that the DAP was "bullying" PSM but the other way around.

Earlier when Sivanesan (photo) said that he would be contesting in Sungai Siput, such a remark was lambasted by some members of the general public for trying to take the seat away from Jeyakumar.

He was asked to give way to Jeyakumar for the latter has been in Sungai Siput for a long time.

In short, DAP has been told to stay away from Sungai Siput and not spoil the chances of PSM.

Settling our differences

PSM might not be in Harapan, but it is certainly a fraternal party that has more in common with this coalition than BN.

The party, from the time of its formation to the present day, has taken a strong ideological stand in fighting for the working class and other subaltern sections of the Malaysian society.

Like the Harapan component parties, PSM wants political change in the country so that through this change, ordinary people would be able to benefit.

Although the party is mainly made up of Indians, one of Malaysia's most marginalised groups, it nonetheless takes a multi-racial and multi-religious approach in resolving the national question.

DAP is not the party that is opposed to PSM or its struggle for a better Malaysia. Both the parties are striving hard for political change.

While there might be slight ideological differences between both parties, their priority is on good governance and to make Malaysia a corruption and scandal-free nation. At least in the realm of ideas.

However, differences in the area of politics are something common and unavoidable.

Only good and capable leaders can minimise these differences in the larger context of moving towards something more fundamental and meaningful.

The struggle over Sungai Siput, I think, is a small matter. However, if left to simmer, it might turn into a major confrontation between these potentially fraternal political parties. Antagonisms between them will be fully exploited by the BN parties.

In fact, the struggle over Sungai Siput might eventually benefit BN, the very coalition that we should be fighting against.

It is not too late. If DAP and PSM could amicably settle the differences between Jeyakumar and Sivanesan over the legal matter, I don't see why a similar approach cannot be adopted to settle the matter over Sungai Siput or any other differences.

Let us give some room for both DAP and PSM to settle the matter. Let us not turn the present non-antagonistic relations both the parties have to antagonistic contradictions.

I hope supporters of both the parties refrain from aggravating the issue by making irresponsible statements like "DAP is bullying PSM", "PSM is the real bully", "DAP is arrogant", "DAP needs PSM to save Malaysia" and so on.

P RAMASAMY is Penang Deputy Chief Minister II and Perai assemblyperson.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.