PSM chairman Jeyakumar, 3 others to be charged

PSM chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj and three others were arrested in October 2023 as state authorities attempted to evict farmers in Kanthan, Chemor, Perak.PETALING JAYA: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj and three others are set to be charged in court with obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties.Besides Jeyakumar, Sungai Siput PSM secretary R Karthigesu, Hulu Kinta PSM secretary P Kesavan and farmer Ho Pon Tien will be charged in the Ipoh courts.Jeyakumar said this was related to an incident in October 2023 in which the four of them were arrested by police as state authorities attempted to evict farmers in Kanthan, Chemor, Perak."The Ipoh police headquarters contacted us two days ago, ordering us to turn up at the courthouse to be charged under Section 186 of the Penal Code," he said in a statement.Section 186, which deals with obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his duties, carries a maximum jail term of two years, a fine of up to RM10,000, or both, upon conviction.PSM maintains that the eviction was unlawful as the farmers had "implied consent" to use the land in Kanthan, having settled there more than 70 years ago.Jeyakumar said lawyers acting for the farmers had obtained an interim stay order from the Ipoh High Court against the clearance of their crops, and that this was furnished to the Perak State Development Corporation."However, the authorities went ahead and destroyed the farms on Nov 1, 2023," he said.