PSM’s policies appealing, but voters have other priorities

SEMENYIH POLLS | Parked outside a shop in Semenyih are a few vehicles adorned with flags and stickers indicating that this was Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s campaign headquarters in an otherwise nondescript property.

The party’s election operational centre in Semenyih by-election is upstairs. PSM started its campaign with the declaration of candidate’s assets.

PSM’s by-election candidate Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul took an oath to clear of racial politics and disclosed his assets - RM1,000 in savings.

He also announced his readiness for the upcoming, albeit now cancelled, public debate with other candidates.

Nik Aziz, 25, is a part-time masseuse and fervent socialist. His stood on a platform for affordable housing, healthcare, improving public transport, removal of highway toll charges and local elections.

Unlike Pakatan Harapan and BN, PSM does not believe in pomp and ceremony or roping in VIPs to spice up their campaign.

Instead, PSM believes that talking policy is the best strategy and hence its “one issue a day” approach.

So far, the party has attacked the federal government’s new health insurance scheme for the lower income group and inability to rein in on highway tolls.

It also held a press conference on the high cost of housing and criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s ignorance of most Malaysians’ ability to buy a house.

To test the efficacy of PSM’s message, Malaysiakini interviewed several voters at a night market in Bandar Sri Putra when party leader Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj went on the hustings...