No go for PSM's Marxism crash course

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will summon officials of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) for questioning over a planned crash course on Marxism the party was organising next month.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today police will not allow the course to be held as it can be seen to be an effort to revive communism.
"We will call up the organisers." he said on Twitter.
PSM central committee member S. Arutchelvan who replied to Khalid's tweet said his party was prepared to explain and give its cooperation to police.
"The truth is we have no intentions of reviving communism but only democratic socialism." he said.
The eight-hour crash course called "Kursus Marxisme Kilat" and planned to be held on March 20 at the PJ Cultural Hall was advertised on PSM's official website.
Aruchelvan said PSM is a registered political party that supports democracy.
He said police attempts to disallow the course to proceed was an attack on the freedom of speech and an attempt to divert attention from pressing issues faced by the country.
"The course is on (Karl) Marx's criticism of capitalism, failures of communist countries and other related subjects. It is merely an educational session and these are thought in universities worldwide. The course is not to related or connected to the current state of affairs with Marxism or promote the ideology." he told theSun.
Arutchelvan said in 2011, in a similar misunderstanding, six PSM members were arrested and detained for treason on suspicion of promoting communism.
He said subsequently the six members were freed and won a legal suit against the police for unlawful detention and were awarded RM200,000 in damages.