Dear Sivarasa

What a pleasant surprise!

I was up until the wee hours of this morning writing up my concerns on the possibility of 3 or more cornered contests losing us the 14th GE, and then I read in FMT that you, too, have touched on these concerns.

Thanks.

And it is good to see you are ready to engage with PSM on this, but could I make a suggestion?

Rather than PSM making a press statement on this matter of grave importance, and you responding thereto through the media, why not sit down over a teh tarik, away from the public gaze, especially that of your respective party members, and trash it out, at all times, keeping in mind that, more than you, we, the rakyat, your bosses, want a straight fight.

Ketuanan Rakyat, right?

Also, a point or two I feel obliged to make, in response to what you are reported to have said.

Whilst I am quite sure you never meant it this way, given your acknowledgment that in “an election, anyone has the right to contest”, but so as not to leave it open to readers to give too literal a meaning to your words, it must be made clear that the parliamentary and state seats are not PKR’s or, for that matter any other political party’s, that your party might “only offer PSM one parliament seat”.

Those seats belong to us, the Rakyat.

If, by “offer”, you mean as part of a process of negotiation to resolve this matter, I feel vindicated in urging that this process of negotiation not be done through the media.

As for respecting the principle of incumbency, I will say 2 things.

First, it cuts both ways.

Dr Jeyakumar is the incumbent in Sungai Siput. Yet you are quoted as saying that PSM will be offered this seat, on condition that he contests using the PKR logo.

If Dr Jeyakumar and PSM decline to use the PKR logo?

PH will field a candidate in Sungai Siput?

What happened to the principle of incumbency that you only just spoke of?

Second, and more importantly, incumbency may be relevant between parties during seat negotiations, but it does not sit with the rakyat, particularly when the incumbent is found to be seriously wanting.

And really, Siva, ask around and you will discover that there is much unhappiness with quite a few incumbents, and I am not talking about those from BN.

This election represents the battle royale between PH and BN, you say?

I think, sadly, Siva, that you overlook the thousands of INVOKE volunteers who have worked tirelessly these last 18 months, the ordinary Malaysians alluded to be Rafizi recently who have, without fail, sent their monthly RM5 and RM10 to INVOKE to help sustain this cause, the thousands of Malaysians overseas who are making arrangements to return to vote, and the thousands who are being trained and will be deployed as PACA to defend our electoral process and to prevent UMNO / BN robbing us, the rakyat, the right to determine the direction this nation takes.

I would prefer to see this battle that looms before us as how both Rafizi and Mat Sabu so graciously put it : the Rakyat lawan BN.

We, the rakyat, are counting on your wisdom and that of the leadership of PSM to find a solution that furthers our cause to Kuburkan UMNO / BN.

God bless, Siva.  - The People's Parliament