'Since when are T-shirts deemed as waging war?'

The arrest and remand of 30 party workers, including Sungai Suput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, showsthat the BN is paranoid and is trying to cling on to power, Parti Socialist Malaysia chairperson Dr Nasir Hashim said today.

Since when, T-shirts that are widely sold in Central Market and elsewhere, Nasir asked, were deemed as "waging a war against the King"?

And, he pointed out, T-shirts are not arms.

"We have participated in democratically-held elections since 1999 and have no intention of toppling or waging war against the King. The clampdown up north shows the authorities and BN are paranoid in falsely associating us with communists," he said.

"PSM has always been a ground-based party and (S) Arutchelvam, Jeyakumar and I have always been going to the ground, fighting for workers' issues including minimum wage and basic rights for estate workers. We also oppose the service tax. Why should we be involved in treason?" he asked.

Arutchelvam, who was also present at the press conference, said the party supports leftist ideas with the PKMM, API, AWAS and PKM movements, but not the revival of communism.

He also pointed out that PAS members were already going up and down the country, as part of the Udahlah campaign against BN, calling for an end to its 54 years of rule.

"This has nothing to do with the Bersih 2.0 campaign which we support, but is to create awareness of the national issues at hand."

Distributing leaflets and party material to reporters, Arutchelvam asked which parts could be deemed as treasonable or trying to overthrow the king.

Communist agent

As for the "offending" T-shirts, he said they could be found anywhere in the country.

"For the authorities to claim that a war is being waged against the country when a Rashid Maidin or Abdullah CD T-shirt is worn, is ridiculous," he said.

"Abdullah, Rashid and Suriani Abdullah all known as former communist leaders, had an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah.

"So where did the notion that we are supporting the communists come from. No doubt this is a deliberate and desperate attempt by Umno and BN to remain in power by using the bogey word 'communist' against us," he said.

He reiterated that PSM is a legally registered party with lawful activities that are known by and large.

Arutchelvam said the attempt by the police to lable PSM as a communist agent was an old tactic that would not be successful.

Nasir (right) also pointed out the paranoia by the authorities was evident at a dinner last night in his constituency of Kota Damansara. It was held to welcome back those who went down south on party work.

"We held it at a hall, not out in the open, and even then the police tried to disrupt the function. Truly the authorities and BN are being paranoid by carrying out all thses high handed tactics," he said.

Arutchelvam pledged that the high-handed action of the police on PSM would not deter them from fighting for the rights of Malaysians and workers at large.

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