EO6 charged with having subversive documents

Athi Shankar | August 3, 2011

The six PSM members have claimed trial and posted bail of RM4,000 for each charge.

BUTTERWORTH: Six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders were charged in the Sessions Court here today with possession of 600 photocopies of Bersih pamphlets and subversive documents.

The six, also known as EO6, are Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, 56, national deputy chairman M Sarasvathy, 58, central committee members Choo Chon Kai, 33, and M Sukumaran, 50, Youth chief R Saratbabu, 25, and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan, 49.

The six who were arrested under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) were released last Friday after being detained for 28 days.

For possessing the Bersih pamphlets, they were charged under the Societies Act and could be jailed for up to three or five years, depending on whether Section 43 or Section 48(1) is used.

Both sections allow for fines as alternate or additional penalties. Under Section 43, the maximum fine is RM3,000 and under Section 48 it is RM15,000.

The charge for possession of subversive documents comes under Section 29(1) of the Internal Security Act, which allows for a jail term of not more than five years or a maximum fine of RM10,000 or both.

The six were said to have committed the offences when they were arrested at Sungai Dua toll plaza of the North-South Expressway at 3.30pm on June 25.

The six have claimed trial and posted bail of RM4,000 for each charge.

They were detained together with 24 others and a bus driver on a chartered bus while on the party campaign trail themed “Udahlah tu… Bersaralah” (Enough already – retire now). (This is a campaign to remind Malaysians of the pitfalls of returning Barisan Nasional to power in the 13th general election).

Last month, 24 of them, including 13 women and three boys, were charged with similar offences.

The women are Cheang Sew Yin, 60, Soh Sock Hwa, 29, Chan Mooi, 55, K Kamala Devi, 57, K Deeeba, 22, K Thanusia, 21, G Packialetchumy, 40, R Saroza, 64, R Nalayani, 64, M Santhana Devi, 30, P Indra, 54, P Jody, 52 and M Kavitha, 35.
The boys are 16-year-old S Ragu, and J Raveen Veerasenan and S Thivya Kumar, both 17.

The other eight males are A Shanmugam, 57, M Ravindran, 20, M Arokiam, 62, G Velaitham, 54, M Sivoosamy, 52, S Ramasamy, 35, Gana Santhanam, 45, and S Selvam, 42.

Bus driver S Murugan was freed without being charged.

Today, senior lawyer CV Prabhakaran led a six-man legal defence team, while a four-man prosecution team was led by DPP Suhaimi Ibrahim.

Judge Ikhmal Hishan Mohd Tajuddin fixed hearing for all 30 from Oct 10 to 14.