In 1987 amid the human rights and political crackdown Ops Lalang, he founded the Jawatankuasa Kebajikan Mahasiswa at UKM as a student activist.
[8] Although the Court of Appeal dismissed the national security argument on 16 August 2006, it upheld a separate reason to deny the registration of the PSM as a political party.
However, on 17 June 2008, the Home Ministry approved PSM's application as a political party just before Federal Court proceedings started, ending a 10-year tussle.
[12] However after the stunning victory at state level by Pakatan Rakyat, Arutchelvan was appointed as a Kajang municipal councillor serving from 2008 till 2013.
Pakatan Harapan's Bakhtiar Mohd Nor wrested the seat from Johan, with PAS candidate Mad Shahmiour Mat Kosim coming third.
[14][15] Despite his electoral fortunes, he has made his name by speaking out on issues such as fuel hikes, affordable housing, minimum wage, retrenchment fund, ISA abolishment and peaceful assembly.