They claimed trial to the charge under Section 43 of the Societies Act and an alternative charge under Section 48(1) of the same law.
The activists - dubbed the 'PSM 6' - also face a charge under Section 29(1) of the Internal Security Act (ISA) for possession of allegedly subversive documents.
Butterworth Sessions Court judge Ikmal Hisham Mohd Tajuddin set bail at RM8,000 each, and fixed the hearing from Oct 10-14.
Despite the PSM defence lawyers' argument that bail should be lowered as the six had undegone physical and mental hardship under detention and would voluntarily turn up for the hearing, DPP Suhaimi Ibrahim insisted that the amount should remain the same.
The six are Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, PSM activists Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran, and A Letchumanan.
They will be tried together with 24 other PSM activists who had been charged earlier.
Section 48 states that anyone who acts on behalf of or represents an unlawful society by bringing with them 600 photocopies of pamphlets is liable to a maximum penalty of five years' jail, a fine of up to RM5,000, or both.
Section 43 stipulates that whoever is a member, attends meetings of or aids, an unlawful society is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding RM5,000, or both.
The same charges were brought against 24 other activists who were detained in Sungai Dua, Penang, while on their 'Udah Bersaralah' roadshow on June 25.
All 30 activists were initially detained on suspicion of planning to wage war against the Agong.
The reason was later reduced to that of posing a threat to public order.
The police then said the six had been detained over their 'key role' in the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.
However, they were released on July 29.
'Authorities have mishandled the case'
Meanwhile, speaking outside the courthouse, Jeyakumar said the authorities have mishandled their case as badly as they had treated the Bersih 2.0 rally.
He added that the government had “shot themselves in the foot” when they arrested the PSM activists and ordered police to treat Bersih protesters harshly.
By the government's mishandling of Bersih and PSM activists, the former had allowed the protest to benefit the opposition, he stressed.
“They could have joined the call for electoral reforms and taken the wind out of the rally,” he said.
Jeyakumar (right) also criticised the authorities for not being very “astute” when charging the six.
“This charge is keeping our issue alive; it has now given us more publicity, which we would not have been able to get in four years,” he added.
PSM lawyers are planning to submit an application for a judicial review on the EO charge to question the government's misuse of power towards its citizens.
Sarasvathy (left) said the charges on the six today will create another wave of dissatisfaction towards the government as PSM would continue to fight repression in the country.
“We always believe in people's power and today we are proven right... if we dare to be brave, the people would dare to have change, that is what we are seeing now,” she added.
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