The police today released the six PSM leaders who had been held without trial under the Emergency Ordinance since July 2.
“The six have been released unconditionally. It is official,” said their legal counsel D Yudistira after a meeting with CID deputy director Hadi Ho Abdullah.
They were released at 5.30pm at the Sentul police district headquarters in Jinjang.
Their 30-day initial detention ends on Sunday. The Home Ministry had the discretion to extend it for another 30 days and subsequently for two years.
The six are Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar, PSM deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan.
They were part of the 30 PSM members who were arrested on June 26 and remanded on suspicion of waging war against the King. After the expiry of their seven-day remand on July 2, the six were detained without trial under the EO.
The release comes a day after Jeyakumar embarked on a hunger strike urging the authorities to either charge the six in court or release them immediately.
Thrilled by the news
Jeyakumar’s wife R Mohana Rani said she was “thrilled” by the news. She is currently at the party branch in Sungai Siput where a hunger strike by 17 party members in support of the six is underway.
“Well we are thrilled,” she told FMT as shouts and cheers could be heard in the background. “You hear that!,” she added, “I think that expresses how we feel”.
Asked if she would be traveling to Kuala Lumpur to meet with her husband, she said that her husband may come to Sungai Siput instead.
PSM secretary general S Arutchelvan, when contacted, said he was in disbelief over the news. He was in the presence of the six released detainees at the Jinjang police station.
“We were anxious that they may not be released on Monday but we are very happy” he said.
“Actually I can’t believe that they have been released,” he added.
The released six will be holding a press conference later today.
Following the release, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said the government should now apologise for the detention and that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should repeal the Emergency Ordinance.
He said the release was a victory for the people.
In another development, Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar said that the Attorney General would now decide on the next course of action against the six.