For decades, he has been a familiar face at demonstrations, be it workers fighting for their rights or squatters defending their homes from demolition. As a result, he had spent countless nights in police lock-ups.

He showed up for the interview at a restaurant in Petaling Jaya in a beat-up Perodua Kelisa, clad in his trademark PSM T-shirt and a vest adorned with a badge featuring the party's raised-fist logo.

The streaks of grey on his scruffy beard were more prominent now compared to when we first met at a protest in the late 90s.

Curious as to what made PSM central committee member S Arutchelvan, 51, tick, I asked when and how he had gravitated towards socialism.

“Believe it or not, it was a group of Malay villagers,” he replied.

“When I was pursuing my Economics degree, my friends and I decided to provide free tuition classes in the estates...