Malaysia: PSM allowed to register as political party
- Log in to post comments
June 21, 2008 -- The National Front (BN) government led by PM Abdullah Badawi has been shaky since the March general election that returned a much stronger parliamentary opposition — now largely united in a new People’s Front (Pakatan Rakyat).
However, the BN’s recent decision to lift petrol prices by 41% (and diesel by 63%) has galvanised a new round of mass protests. Thousands took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur after prayers at the mosque on June 13 demanding that prices be lowered and a much larger rally is being planned for July 6.
Link’s Peter Boyle spoke on June 19 with S.Arutchelvan, the secretary-general of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), about the recent developments. After a 10-year battle for registration as a legal party, the PSM has just been promised recognition by the embattled government. This follows the PSM winning two seats in the March elections.
June 13 fuel hike protests
From Green Left Weekly issue #756 25 June 2008.
From: http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/node/85
New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, July 3:
Cooperation between the police and armed forces is necessary to
maintain public order and security in the country. With this in mind,
the two security forces launched a joint safety exercise at the Police
College in Cheras yesterday.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said cooperation was
crucial because political parties, non-governmental organisations and
individuals were, of late, organising more illegal assemblies.
"It is crucial, and the right time, for the forces to organise and plan
strategies to carry out duties in maintaining public order as outlined
in the public order manual," he said.
The exercise, which began yesterday and ends on Monday, is to get
planners to understand what it takes to coordinate efforts between the
two forces should the need arise.
Musa said the joint exercise, whose focus is on the Klang Valley,
especially Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya, was to show that
public order problems could be tackled properly and efficiently by both
forces.
Asked if this meant that the armed forces would be used to tackle
illegal assemblies, he said this would only be so if absolutely
necessary and an emergency had to be declared.
Armed
Forces chief General Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal said the exercise was
the first of two phases. In this phase, discussions would be held to
work out certain procedures.
The second phase involved actual deployment of forces. Legal officers
of both forces would advise on the legal aspects of tackling any crisis.
"Such activities (the exercise) have to be carried out so that a
standard operating procedure can be worked out. Without such exercises,
there will be no coordination when a real threat arises," he said.
The joint military-police exercise was announced as a mass
opposition rally against the recent 41% petrol/67% diesel fuel hikes
was being built for this Sunday (July 6), and opposition Pakatan Rakyat
leader Anwar Ibrahim released evidence implicating the deputy prime minister in an alleged murder cover-up.
The executive longstanding Malaysian human rights organisation Aliran issued the following statement on July 3:
"Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan's suggestion yesterday that the military could be asked to help the police in maintaining law and order in the country is disturbing.
"For one thing, Aliran
wonders whether the security of the nation now has become unstable to
the point that it warrants military intervention. Or is this merely a
tactical move to scare ordinary Malaysians from exercising their right
to express their stand in public through, for instance, peaceful
demonstrations on the street?
"Civilian matters should be handled by the police force in the most
professional way possible because as the experience of neighbouring
countries has shown, once out of the military barracks, the army may
find it difficult to return.
"The IGP's remarks may only add fuel to the speculation that given the
twists of events in the political sphere, the country may be put under
emergency rule."
People's Front leaders on the night of July 3 to discuss the dangerous and rapidly shifting political situation in the country.
Sources: NST, Star, Aliran
http://www.asia-pacific-action.org/node/87
According
to Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary general S.Arutchelvan, despite
police warnings to stay away from what was branded an "illegal" rally,
the crowd built up to 40,000 at the July 6 all-day rally against the
fuel price hike. There were around 10,000 in the morning but up to
40,000 at night. However, he added that many people stayed away because
the venue had been shifted to a sports stadium.
When he addressed the rally, Pakatan Rakyat (People's Front) leader
Anwar Ibrahim challenged the Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi
to a debate on fuel prices. He said that the fuel price hike had
triggered a crisis of confidence in the Barisan Nasional government.
The crowd chanted: "Reformasi! Reformasi!"; "Long live the people!"; "Fuel prices, down! down!" and "BN, down! down!":
There was no trouble with police on the day.
PSM allowed to register as political party
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has finally obtained approval from the Home Ministry to register as a political party after a 10-year battle which included a protracted law suit against the government.
S. Arutchelvan said the party’s lawyers today asked the Federal Court for an adjournment of the case where PSM is appealing against the Court of Appeal’s decision to reject its application to register as a political party.
The Federal Court has subsequently decided to put off the case pending the registration of the party.
arutchelvan psm interview 010208 concernArutchelvan told Malaysiakini that he had earlier sent a May 28 memorandum by email to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar seeking his intervention in the case.
Syed Hamid replied the following week, also by email, saying that the ministry would now support the registration of PSM, something which the government has rejected for almost a decade.
“On June 4, I received an email from (Syed Hamid) saying ‘we will allow the registration (of the party) to proceed’,” said Arutchelvan regarding the government’s surprising about-turn on the issue.
Arutchelvan said he spoke to Deputy Registrar of Societies Marzuki Zainuddin and Syed Hamid’s aide Intan Yusniazura, who confirmed that the email from the minister was authentic [see emails below].
“On the same day, we send an email to the minister from PSM to ask how to proceed on (the matter).”
Syed Hamid told the PSM leader to wait for an official letter from the ministry.
This morning, Arutchelvan was informed to collect a letter from the ministry. The letter requested the party to submit a fresh application for registration.
“PSM agreed to re-apply as we believe this is just a formality to get PSM registered as the minister had previously committed in the email to register the party…,” said Arutchelvan.
“We would request the party to be registered within a month after we submit our application. If PSM is still denied registration, then we would go back to the Federal Court to rule on the issue.”PSM will not withdraw case, for now
According to Arutchelvan, senior federal counsel Mary Lim who is representing the government in the legal battle, has today suggested to PSM to drop the case following the latest development.“Lim said the case is now academic,” he said.
However, PSM has told the Federal Court that it had no intention of withdrawing the case until it receives a ‘black-and-white approval’ of its legal status from the Home Ministry.
PSM’s lawyers, Tommy Thomas and Ragunath Kesavan, have instead requested the court for an adjournment in today’s hearing pending a formal approval from the government.
“(This is to ensure that) after we have submitted the formal letter and if we get rejected (again), then we can still go back to the court,” explained Arutchelvan.
Regarding the party’s memorandum to Syed Hamid, the PSM leader said he had urged the ministry to approve the party’s application in view of the government’s recent pledges for reforms.
“If they were ready to reform everything, then PSM should be allowed to be registered,” he said.
Also present at the court hearing today was PSM chairperson Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, who is assemblyperson for Kota Damansara (Selangor) and central committee member Dr D Jeyakumar, the member of parliament for Sungai Siput (Perak).Long struggle for recognition
Since its application in April 1998, PSM and its supporters have been waging a long struggle for it to be registered and recognised as a political party.Its application was rejected in September 1999 by then home minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is now prime minister.
Soon after, PSM filed a law suit - the first time a political party has gone to the courts to challenge the government’s decision in rejecting its registration.
In a judgment on Jan 13, 2003, the Kuala Lumpur High Court agreed with the government’s argument that the socialist party posed a national security threat and rejected PSM’s application for a judicial review.
Three years later, the Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s decision but ruled that the party was not a national security threat, clearing one of the major hurdles in the lawsuit for PSM.
The appellate court nevertheless upheld another key argument - that Registrar of Society (ROS) requires the party to have representatives from at least seven states to be registered as a national party.
PSM, which failed to meet the requirements according to the ROS, has described this as “baseless”.
Unable to operate as a full-fledged political party, PSM leaders have contested in the past three general elections under the banners of two other opposition parties - DAP and PKR.
In the March 8 elections, the party won one state and one parliament seat.