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Don't dismiss campaign to spoil votes in GE14 - PSM
Published:  Jan 17, 2018 1:46 PM
Updated: 7:07 AM
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PSM central committee member S Arutchelvan has joined in the debate about a campaign to spoil votes in the 14th general elections.

He noted that the campaign was in part due to the belief that neither BN nor Pakatan Harapan would bring systemic change.

However, Arutchelvan quoted Lenin who believed that participation in elections was obligatory and a boycott should only happen if conditions were ripe for a revolution.

"My personal stance is the left wing including the anarchists in this country are still weak and have yet to create a matured condition for change through the streets," he said in a Facebook posting.

Arutchelvan pointed out that in 1969, the Labour Party and Parti Rakyat boycotted the general election, which was seen as the wrong move that led to the rise of other social democrat parties such as DAP and Gerakan.

"If we want to change this system, all socialists, anarchists, the left, anti-capitalist, anti-feudalist and those who stand with the people must unite to build a new movement against mainstream politics that seek only to change the government but not the system.

"So long as this new power is not built, then we are told that we have no choice but to vote for either Coke or Pepsi," he said.

Nonetheless, Arutchelvan said the campaign to spoil votes in the general election should not be dismissed.

He noted that even former Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan (photo) had come out to urge against such a move.

"No one should take for granted the maturity of the people who want to spoil their votes. This may be a protest or a new idea.

"For now, my stance is to keep an open mind to this campaign instead of opposing it. I feel that it should be debated in a mature manner and with depth.

"We have to ask if it is better to have a new Harapan government or BN," he added.

Arutchelvan said the onus was on Harapan to convince those who were against BN but are now unsure about supporting Harapan due to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the opposition coalition.

"But I see Harapan criticising and attacking those who are not of the same opinion and labelling those who criticise Harapan as having taken dedak (handouts) from (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak," he said.

Arutchelvan said this had only fuelled the desire by certain voters to want to spoil their votes.

"Harapan should be more humble and try to reach out to the groups that had for a long time fought BN," he said.

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