The Malaysian Police is intending to forbid the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) to hold a crash course on Marxism, scheduled on 20 March 2016.
In a twitter message by the Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, (twitter account: kbab51), poseted 28 February, accused the program is an “effort to revive communism”. He said, “the police will not allow to program to go on. The organiser will be called.”
Once again, the Malaysian police is using the cold war-style “communist” taboo to curb activities of left-wing groups in Malaysia. In June 2011, in the build up towards the massive BERSIH 2.0 rally which called for electoral reform, members of PSM were arrested and accused of “reviving communism”. 6 of those arrested were further detained for a month under Emergency Ordinance. But, in the aftermath of the events, 6 PSM members who detained under Emergency Ordinance were rewarded RM 200,000 damages in a consent judgement in Kuala Lumpur High Court for wrongful arrest and unlawful detention.
The latest attempt by the Inspector-General of Police to stop the educational courses on Marxist ideas, is another absurd move by the authority to curb freedom of thought and expression in Malaysia. This will further shrink the democratic space of political activism and degrading for intellectual development in the country.
Please protest letters to the authority of Malaysia, calling upon the Malaysia government to stop intimidating political and educational activities of PSM.
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Khalid bin Abu Bakar
Inspector-General of Police
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur
E-mail: rmp rmp.gov.my
Twitter: @KBAB51
Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Office of The Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre, 62502 Putrajaya,
MALAYSIA.
Tel : +603-8888 8000
Fax : -603-8888 3444
E-Mail: ppm pmo.gov.my
Twitter: najibrazak
International Bureau
Socialist Party of Malaysia / Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
No go for PSM’s Marxism crash course
The Sun Daily
KUALA LUMPUR: Police will summon officials of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) for questioning over a planned crash course on Marxism the party was organising next month.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today police will not allow the course to be held as it can be seen to be an effort to revive communism.
“We will call up the organisers.” he said on Twitter.
PSM central committee member S. Arutchelvan who replied to Khalid’s tweet said his party was prepared to explain and give its cooperation to police.
“The truth is we have no intentions of reviving communism but only democratic socialism.” he said.
The eight-hour crash course called “Kursus Marxisme Kilat” and planned to be held on March 20 at the PJ Cultural Hall was advertised on PSM’s official website.
Aruchelvan said PSM is a registered political party that supports democracy.
He said police attempts to disallow the course to proceed was an attack on the freedom of speech and an attempt to divert attention from pressing issues faced by the country.
“The course is on (Karl) Marx’s criticism of capitalism, failures of communist countries and other related subjects. It is merely an educational session and these are thought in universities worldwide. The course is not to related or connected to the current state of affairs with Marxism or promote the ideology.” he told theSun.
Arutchelvan said in 2011, in a similar misunderstanding, six PSM members were arrested and detained for treason on suspicion of promoting communism.
He said subsequently the six members were freed and won a legal suit against the police for unlawful detention and were awarded RM200,000 in damages.
Charles Ramendran
newsdesk thesundaily.com
* The Sun Daily. Posted on 28 February 2016 - 06:55pm.Last updated on 28 February 2016 - 11:50pm:
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1713178