Jeyakumar Devaraj and Socialist Ideas Conference in the Perth Voice

Malaysian Socialist Party member Jeyakumar Devaraj has been interviewed for the latest issue of the Perth Voice.

The article profiles the upcoming Socialist Ideas Conference at which Jeyakumar will speak.

"Malaysia's only socialist federal parliamentarian will be in town next weekend for the Socialist Ideas Conference, and he has a few tips for federal Perth seat candidate Alex Bainbridge from the Socialist Alliance," the article reads.

The "tips" in question are indicated by the title: "Malaysian MP's tip: Don't scare them with socialism".

"He says he won because he didn't frighten people off by bandying around the word 'socialist' too much," the article reads.

I told the journalist David Bell that we are very keen to pick up any tips we can from Jeyakumar when he visits. I also said that "I think it is important to remember examples like the Fremantle council elections last year where Socialist Alliance member Sam Wainwright won 33 per cent of the vote which was enough to win the seat."

"Sam waged an openly socialist campaign," I said. "It is a bigger challenge to run in a federal election, but you have to start somewhere."

Jeyakumar also told the Voice that "it [capitalism] is a failed ideology... what answer do they have? Their only answer out of the economic crisis is to have more growth. How much more growth can we have and not bring the climate to an ecological disaster?"

The Socialist Ideas Conference opens at 9:30am on Saturday 26 June. Jeyakumar will speak on the Saturday evening feature session beginning at 6pm on the role of socialists in parliament and at the Sunday 12 noon plenary on campaigning for socialism in the 21st century. Register now!

The Voice article is right next to the advertisement for this weekend's World Refugee Day Rally so is a good reminder to get along to that rally as well. (1pm Sunday 20 June at Wesley Church www.rran.org)

Also you can find our more about Malaysian politics in preparation for Jeyakumar's visit on the links website or the Malaysian Socialist Party website.

Alex Bainbridge