Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will be holding its 26th National Congress in Kempas, Johor Bahru, over three days from July 26 to July 28, 2024. This is the first time the party will be organizing its National Congress in Johor, having previously held it in Perak, Kedah, Penang, Pahang, and Selangor. Approximately 150 delegates are expected to attend the Congress.
The theme of this year’s Congress will be “Third Force – People’s Alternative.” In conjunction with this, a forum titled “Challengers and Opportunities for a Third Force” will be held on Saturday night. Among the panelists will be YB Hassan Karim, MP for Pasir Gudang; Rasid Bakar, Party Muda State Leader; and PSM’s Deputy Chairperson S. Arutchelvan.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday at 3 p.m., where Dr. Jeyakumar, the Party Chairperson, will deliver his Policy Address. Civil society leaders, as well as leaders from Parti Muda, PRM, MAP, and Uramai, are expected to attend.
This year, party elections will be held to appoint the 15-member Central Committee, as well as the 5-member Disciplinary Committee and 2 party auditors. PSM is unique in that its Disciplinary Committee is elected rather than appointed. Similarly, all positions, including Secretary General and Treasurer, will be directly elected and not appointed by the party’s Chair or leadership.
To encourage participation and democratic processes in the party elections, members nominated by branches must contest at least one seat and cannot withdraw completely from a race. As a result of this system, PSM elections rarely see candidates winning seats unopposed.
This year’s election will be particularly focused on the position of Secretary General, as incumbent SG A. Sivarajan has declined nomination despite receiving the most nominations. Sdr. Siva has served as SG for the past 9 years, meaning PSM will have a new SG for the term 2024-2026. PSM’s Workers Bureau Chief A. Sivaranjani will be contesting against Suresh Kumar, the former PSM candidate for Cameron Highlands. Incumbents Dr. Jeyakumar, Arul, and Soh Sook Hwa will be defending their respective seats, with elections taking place for all positions.
A total of 50 members will be contesting for 9 Central Committee positions, while 48 members have been nominated for the 5-member Disciplinary Board. Elections will occur in two stages on Saturday and Sunday.
During the Congress, 15 motions and 33 resolutions will be debated. Popular topics include the price of household goods, minimum wage, and public housing. There are also motions to reconsider or relax PSM’s criteria for selecting candidates for General and State elections. Another interesting motion addresses the impact of AI technology on jobs and security concerns.
As the largest left-wing party in the country, PSM continues to strive for a more equitable economic system where the interests of the working class and the aspirations of ordinary rakyat are addressed. This is a battle of ideology and ideas.
S. Arutchelvan
Deputy Chairperson
Parti Sosialis Malaysia
25-7-2024