PSM, NGOs to launch marathon vigil for PSM 6

A group of women NGOs will join forces with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and hold a 12-hour candlelight vigil to demand the freedom of the 'PSM 6' detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

Women's Aid Organiation executive director Ivy Josiah announced this after submission of a memorandum, jointly with several other women NGOs, to the Human Rights Comission of Malaysia (Suhakam) on the EO detentions.

The memorandum expressed the groups' protest against the ill-treatment of one EO detainee in particular, who, was alleged to have been subjected to a lie detector test .

"We met PSM last night and we have decided to hold an overnight candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka, starting at 9pm on Saturday.

"We will not sleep. At 9am (the next morning), we will march to Bukit Aman," Josiah said.

She declined to comment on the expected turnout, but said aside from the coalition of women NGOs and PSM, several other interested NGOs would also be taking part.

Asked if they expected to face trouble from police, she expressed optimism, saying the several candlelight vigils that have been held for the EO 6 so far have gone on without problems.

"There has been no problem with the police so far, they even helped to direct the traffic, they seem to understand that this is our right," Josiah ( left ) said.

The EO 6 or the PSM 6 as they have come to be known, are Sungei Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, PSM deputy chairperson M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan and Youth leader Sarat Babu.

The six were among 30 party members arrested on June 25 for allegedly 'waging war against the Agong' and were immediately rearrested under the EO after their release on July 2.

The move comes ahead of a looming extension of the detention of the PSM 6 as the 30-day deadline approaches, after which the Home Ministry is empowered to extend it for another 30 days and subsequently, for two years.