Socialist party PSM is baffled by the latest tweet from inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, threatening action against the party as organiser of a course on Marxism slated for this month - and on the participants as well.
"Firstly, the IGP cannot ban an event using a tweet. He must first disclose under which law he is banning our programme and specify what the unlawful acts committed by PSM are," its central committee member S Arutchelvan, who is also the coordinator for the course, said.
Arutchelvan also contended that the IGP cannot ban an event before even completing the investigation.
He explained that Gerakbudaya, the owner of the premises where the event is to take place, has been visited by the police asking its officials to go the police station today to record a statement.
An officer from the Petaling Jaya districtpolice headquarters, he said, also called him, asking to record his statement and that of the other lecturers.
The eight-hour programme, titled 'Kursus Marxisme Kilat', is slated to be held at Gerakbudaya’s Cultural Hall in Petaling Jaya on March 20 and has been promoted on PSM's website.
"I told him that I would be going overseas and will immediately organise for all our statements to be recorded after March 11, when I am back. He has politely agreed to it.
"So, without even knowing the content of our course, how can the IGP keep shooting warning shots?" Arutchelvan asked.
He said if the IGP banned the event without a proper preamble, then PSM's only recourse would be to sue him, as the party did before, in the EO6 case.
"Definitely the IGP’s action will be a violation of our fundamental rights, freedom of information, freedom of expression, freedom of speech as well as freedom of association. At this stage, the IGP’s action just seems arbitrary," Arutchelvan said.
He reasoned that books on Karl Marx and Marxism could be found in the libraries operated by the government, as well as at universities.
Marxism courses and topics are taught in most universities in the world, including the local universities. Likewise, he said, the dominant ruling party Umno has a close relationship with the communist parties of Vietnam, Cuba and China.
"In this post-cold war era, it seems the IGP is still stuck with the old world order.
"The more the IGP indulges in these issues, the more we are becoming convinced that these are just diversions to refocus our mind away from the other more pressing issues facing our country," Arutchelvan added. --Mkini
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