When PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang attacked asset declaration as “a communist and socialist theory,” PSM central committee member S Arutchelvan had to chuckle to himself.

“It seems everything that is a good idea is a socialist idea," he told Malaysiakini, perhaps overlooking the fact that Hadi went on to claim that the asset declaration idea was “dreamt up by DAP which influences the government today.”

“Previously, when it came to tearing down the tolls, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also said this came from socialists within Pakatan Harapan,” Arutchelvan said.

The PSM leader was referring to Mahathir calling on some of his Harapan partners to drop their socialist mentality in February, and cited tolls as an example of how the government had to be pragmatic in terms of earning revenue.

“When it comes to building low-cost homes for the poor, property developers call it a socialist idea.

"When it comes to putting a heavier tax burden on the rich, that's a socialist idea," said Arutchelvan.

“Public hospitals are a socialist idea too. In fact, all ideas that put the people first are socialist ideas. It seems that all these good ideas come from socialists.

“And mind you, it's not me who said it, Hadi and Mahathir did."