Parti Sosialis Malaysia's (PSM) S Arutchelvan was today questioned by the police over a solidarity vigil held for Siti Noor Aishah Atam, who is in jail for possessing terrorism-related books. 

The PSM central committee member told Malaysiakini that he was questioned by one Inspector Raziman Rasid at the Kajang police station this afternoon, and was told he was being probed under Section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, over the vigil held outside the Kajang prison on April 1.

"The police report (that led to the questioning) was lodged by the Kajang police station chief," he said. 

Arutchelvan is the second individual to be hauled up over the vigil, after Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) executive director Sevan Doraisamy, who was questioned on April 25, also in Kajang.

According to Arutchelvan, he was accompanied by lawyer T Shashi Devan and the entire questioning process took less than 15 minutes.

He said he mostly replied "I will answer in court" to the questions posed and said that all Malaysians have the right to assemble under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

Meanwhile, Sevan told Malaysiakini that police questioning has become "a trend after a gathering". 

“I was called as Suaram had taken up a campaign against detention without trial, and was helping Siti (Noor Aishah)’s family."

The vigil was held in solidarity for Siti Noor Aishah, who was first arrested in March 2016 for possessing 12 books related to terrorism and was subsequently detained without trial under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca) for 60 days.

Upon her release, she was fitted with an electronic monitoring device before she was re-arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).

She had claimed that the books, which the authorities say contained elements that could incite violence, was for research for her Master's degree thesis.

Siti Noor Aishah had also reportedly pledged her alliance to Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, via social media on several occasions. 

Last April 26, she was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison under Section 130JB(1) (a) of the Penal Code for possessing the books.