Some 250 people gathered at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall tonight to give a hero’s welcome to the PSM 6 who were  released after 28 days of detention under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

psm eo6 release pc 290711 banner outside klscah 02 The carnival-like gathering that numbered only 30 quickly swelled to hundreds within an hour in anticipation of the arrival of the PSM 6, with supporters carrying flags claiming victory for people power while others waved the party’s trademark red flag.

Sungai Siput MP D Jeyakumar, who was the first of the six to arrive, was greeted by chants of “ Hidup Rakyat, Hancur EO ” (Long Live the people, down with EO) while others sang the socialist anthem ‘ The Internationale ’.

“I thank everyone here, it looked like the police wanted to keep us for a long time. If it were not for the people who demanded for our release I will not be here.

“I heard that even (former Sungai Siput MP) S Samy Vellu said that hey, Jeyakumar is not this kind (violent) of person,” he said.

Several Pakatan MPs and members of the civil society had flocked to KLSCAH  to congratulate the PSM 6, including Jeyakumar’s parents who had an emotional embrace with their son.

‘Union of the oppressed’

The event was initially intended for a joint-vigil to demand the release of PSM 6 and justice for Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini who died while in Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) custody, but the others also joined in celebration of those freed.

“The family of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini are also here, we have come together today united as victims of the Barisan Nasional’s oppression to stand for justice,” said Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah who addressed the crowd with a loudhailer.

psm eo6 release pc 290711 jeyakumar and nasir Aside from Jeyakumar ( left in photo ), the others released were Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran and A Letchumanan.

Later, the six, who appeared to be in high spirit related their experience during their 28-day ordeal.

“We were generally well treated but the problem is that my liberty had been deprived, it was mental torture, I was confined in a to seven-by-nine-feet cell with no reading materials and the only human being that I saw was the investigating officer,” related Jeyakumar.

“I asked them at least give me a Bible to read, but they refused, I even asked for a Quran but they also refused,” he said.

Former detainees in high spirits

Another former detainee, Sukumaran, had to pull up his pants as he stood to address supporters, claiming that he had lost ten kilograms since his detention.

psm eo6 release pc 290711 sarasvathy “The police detained us for being the movers of Bersih but they did not ask about Bersih, instead they kept asking about Sungai Siput and PSM, they even asked me what kinds of activities I was involved in during the first month of 1990,” he said.

“They also asked me who was PSM chairperson, I told them it was Nasir Hashim, a Malay and everyone else was Indian, (like) the Communist Party, one Malay - Rashin Maidin - and everyone else was Chinese,” he quipped.

psm eo6 release pc 290711 left lechu and sugu PSM’s secretary-general Arutchelvan acknowledged that the episode has generated much support for the party.

“PSM is one of the poorest parties but when these six people were in detention we became rich,” he quipped.

“Alot of common people, normal people contributed to the party and to the struggle, a lot of people were not afraid any more, that is the most important thing,” he added.

The group later held a joint-vigil together with supporters of Teoh and Sarbaini in the compound of KLSCAH.

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