KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 2 ― Instead of tweeting about it, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar should issue a formal statement to convey what is wrong with holding a course on Marxism, its organiser said today.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) central committee member S. Arutchelvan said issuing statements through the microblogging platform was inappropriate as the organiser and the participants deserved to know what laws they were in danger of breaking.
“The police cannot ban an event through Twitter. He should use the proper procedure, like a notice or a letter,” Arutchelvan told Malay Mail Online when contacted for response to the IGP’s latest remark.
Khalid had previously tweeted that the police will act against the organiser if it went ahead with its crash course on Marxism March 20 at the Petaling Jaya Cultural Hall in Selangor.
Earlier today, he issued another warning, again through Twitter that it was against the law to even attend the course and the police would act against not just the organiser but participants too.
Bukan shj Penganjur, Peserta yg hadir Kursus menyalahi Undang2 ini, akan turut diambil tindakan oleh @PDRMsia pic.twitter.com/1ps8Bbjjt9
— Khalid Abu Bakar (@KBAB51) March 2, 2016
Arutchelvan said it was unfair for the police to issue a public statement banning the event without notice.
He added that a police officer had contacted him earlier today to arrange to record his statement on March 11 and made no mention of a ban or punitive measures if PSM proceeded with its Marxism course as scheduled.
“Let him give us something in black-and-white and then we will contemplate on taking legal action against the ban because I don’t see any laws that is being violated from organising the event,” he said.
Arutchelvan also questioned the rationale in banning the Marxism crash course when the subject was taught in schools and universities, and books about it were also readily available.
“What is he going to do next? Ban all books on Marxism at libraries also?” he asked.
He added that PSM’s course on Marxism was purely for educational purposes and had nothing to do with current political affairs in the country.
Marxism is the socioeconomic theory based on the teachings of German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, but is often conflated with the Marxism-Leninism political philosophy that is often tied to communist regimes.
Civil liberties lawyer Syahredzan Johan told Malay Mail Online that he was puzzled by the IGP’s Twitter remark that it was illegal for anyone to organiser or attend a course on Marxism in the country.
“I honestly cannot think of any laws a person can be prosecuted or punished for attending or organising a Marxism course.
“Or maybe the police would act on them by saying that the course promotes terrorism or something like that,” Syahredzan said when contacted for comment.
Khalid has promised stern action against anyone who takes part in the March 20 Marxism course, whether it is the organiser or participant.
In his warning today, he wrote in Malay: “Not just the organiser, participants who attend this course is going against the law and action will also be taken by @PDRMsia” but did not elaborate on which law they were in danger of breaking.
Contacted for clarification later, Khalid told Malay Mail Online in a brief WhatsApp text message to ask him again in a press conference.
