No Permission Needed For Peaceful Assembly Muda Tells Cops

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Muda has reminded the police of a Federal Court decision that reaffirmed the constitutional right to peaceful assembly, and not a permission that can be granted or withdrawn at the whim of the authorities.
The party's deputy communications chief Rasid Abu Bakar said this in response to Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus' reported warning against two "anti-Trump" rallies in an area declared as a "red zone" for the 47th Asean Summit.
“The Federal Court has made it clear that citizens do not need police permission to assemble. The law only requires organisers to give notice - not to seek approval.
“This is the ruling of the country’s highest court, and any action by the police to block, intimidate, or relocate a peaceful assembly goes beyond its legal authority,” he said in a statement today.
ADSOn July 1, a five-member Federal Court bench led by then-chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat unanimously ruled that a section of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 - which criminalises not giving notice of assemblies to the authorities - was unconstitutional.
Ensure safety, not decide for people
Rasid further said the police are not the arbiters of whether an assembly is appropriate or not.
“Your role is to ensure safety - not to decide what citizens can or cannot voice out.
"When the police start using ‘the nation’s image’ as a reason to silence public expression, that’s no longer about security - that’s an abuse of power,” he claimed.
Earlier today, Fadil said that while the people have the right to speak out against the injustices faced by Palestinians, they still have to abide by the law to ensure security and public order.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil MarsusAccording to him, it has been decided that the area in Ampang Park, a "red zone" that actively involves protocol routes used to reach the summit, is off limits to protesters based on intelligence and analysis by security agencies.
The Asean Summit, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from tomorrow until Oct 28, will see the participation of state leaders from member nations and Asean key dialogue partners - including China, Japan, India, and the US.
Respect citizens’ voice
Commenting further, Rasid said Malaysia’s true image does not depend on how well it pleases foreign leaders such as US President Donald Trump, but on how it respects the voices of its own people.
“If the police continue to act beyond the law, you are not protecting the nation - you are tarnishing democracy,” he said.
“Every time you try to intimidate Malaysians from gathering peacefully, you are showing the world that Malaysia’s police fear their own citizens.
ADS“And Muda will continue to defend the people’s right to assemble and speak. The people do not need police permission to demand justice,” he stressed.
Trump, who has been under heavy criticism for his role in enabling Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, has confirmed he will be attending the event and is expected to arrive in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.
Many groups have announced that they would hold demonstrations against Trump during the summit.
This includes the Palestinian liberation advocacy group Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia, which said it would hold a joint protest with more than 23 partner organisations to express its opposition to Trump’s presence. - Mkini

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