Dr Jeyakumar, a central committee member of the PSM defeated a senior
leaders of the ruling Barisan Nasional, Minister of Works Samy Vellu, in
the seat of Sungai Siput in Perak. Last August I visited Sungai Siput
with Jeyakumar and other PSM comrades. Their strong base among
plantation workers (mostly descendants of indentured labourers brought
from India in the British colonial era) was very obvious.

PSM president Dr Nasir Hashim won the state Legislative Assemby seat of
Kota Damansara in Selangor.

“Today is a great day for all Malaysian opposition parties including
PSM”, declared the party’s website. See: “http://www.parti-sosialis.org”

“The people of Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara have shown their
appreciation for the years of community work we have done there by
voting for our candidates yesterday!

“Our candidate, Dr. Kumar defeated Samy Vellu in Sungai Siput, Perak,
for our first ever Parliament seat and Nasir Hashim won the DUN Kota
Damansara seat! Both ran under the Keadilan flag.

“Here onwards, Parlimen and Dewan Undangan Negeri joins the grounds from
where we stand up for the rights of the oppressed - from the working
class and the poor to single mothers and /orang aslis/ [indigenous people].”

The PSM, which has been undemocratically refused electoral registration,
stood its candidates under the banner of main opposition Keadilan
(Justice) Party. Keadilan is led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar
Ibrahim who was framed and jailed for years by former PM Mohamed Mahathir.