Peaceful Assembly is a fundamental human right of the peoples - a means to communicate their concerns to the government showing that it has support of others. It is also a means to LOBBY people of Malaysia to consider their views - and possibly join in taking a similar position. Politicians who do not support this human right, even if they disagree with the reasons or message of those exercising this right is DISAPPOINTING - DAP leaders sadly have changed so much, only to come out in support after PM Anwar declaration of 'no opposition'. But, then the existance of barricades, blocking of access, etc on the day of the rally by DBKL(the Local Council/Government) who the Federal Government appoints the MAYOR and Council members) contradicts PM Anwar's 11th hour proclaimed support?? Does it NOT? Did SOGO disrespect peoples' rights or was it just the government? Whenever business violates human rights - BOYCOTT and protest is a response. SOGO must come clean and state whether SOGO opposed peoples' right to assemble/protest peacefully or was it DBKL and the police that did it?
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Jan 24 that he is not opposed to civil society and opposition parties holding a street rally in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 25, distancing himself from previous pronouncements by the police and home minister that such gatherings required special permits. - Straits Times, 24/1/2025After Anwars 'late' declared position, reported on 25/1/2025 the day of the Rally
DAP fully supports the anti-corruption rally scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur today (Jan 25)..."The prime minister has already announced (not to obstruct the rally) yesterday, and I follow the home minister's directive for the police to facilitate the gathering..When asked if DAP would encourage its members to join the rally since Amanah was doing the same thing, Nga said he would leave it to the members. "I leave it to the members, but I know that most have already returned to their hometowns for Chinese New Year..- NST, 25/1/2025
If the Prime Minister remained quiet, I wonder whether DAP, their MPs/ADUN would have supported the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Malaysia. The 'growing silence' of DAP and PH leaders on human rights and justice issues is DISAPPOINTING - do they even believe in human rights and justice, which means the speak out and/or act without fear or favour, even against PM Anwar and the government of the day if it violates human rights and fails to do justice.
Comparatively, Amanah FARED better, as the party took the position that members are free to participate in the anti-corruption rally b4 Anwar gave his 'green light' Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, also said Amanah members may choose to attend the rally if they wish to, as he had no problem with that. “This is a democracy, and we are free to demonstrate. Anyone who wants to participate, there is no problem. It’s just that we have a convention right now. Otherwise, some of us might have attended,” he said.
When a political party or its leaders come out TOO LATE, in this case DAP did on 25th, the day of the Anti-Corruption protest - whereby party supporters may have come join if only it was made earlier, can we say that DAP supports the right to peaceful assembly or NOT?
Was there advance notice of road blocks - that would have allowed people who wanted to join to make plans...
But, then when the rally happened - maybe the government or the Prime Minister must explain the DBKL Barricades and notices that seem to go against the right to peaceful assembly..
DBKL sealed off the front entrance of Sogo ahead of the planned rally. The entrance was blocked by several white metal barrier gates and sealed with red-and-white tape.A notice was posted in the sealed area, warning the public not to sit, gather, or engage in any activities there....Meanwhile, Dataran Merdeka was also blocked off for vehicles. Barricades were set up on the road entering the square near an entrance to public parking. Large sections of the main road leading to Dataran Merdeka were blocked off as well. In the barricaded area, a red sign by DBKL stated that the site was closed to any activities.
The Mayor and the DBKL Councillors are all political appointees of Anwar's Federal Government, not democratically elected by the people as should be.
Should the PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY ACT be repealed? It DETERS the right to peacefully assemble ...In a Peaceful Assembly, the people should have the option to provide notice to the police or not. The reason for such notice is for the police to ensure that the exercise of this right is not prohibited by others - and people are FREE to exercise their rights.
The EXERCISE of a right does not require the approval/permission of the Police, the PM or the Home Minister. In Malaysia, the police do not understand this - they behave that unless the police approve, the people cannot exercise the right to PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY...how sad? Same with the Home Minister - nobody needs his 'GREEN LIGHT' before one can exercise the right to peaceful assembly...
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he has no objections to tomorrow’s anti-graft rally, stressing his commitment to combating corruption at all levels. He said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail gave the green light for the rally.
Around 200 protestors at the anti-graft rally in Kuala Lumpur today have reached Dataran Merdeka after a march from the Sogo shopping mall about 1km away.
They sang and chanted their way to the square, holding drums and posters, under the watchful eyes of the authorities who did not stop them.
The multiracial crowd of protesters mainly comprised youths. Their march was carried out under grey skies and some drizzle.
The protestors first gathered at Sogo at about 2.30pm today, breaching barricades that were set up there. Police and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers did not prevent them from doing so.
Earlier, DBKL sealed off the front entrance of Sogo ahead of the planned rally.
The entrance was blocked by several white metal barrier gates and sealed with red-and-white tape.
A notice was posted in the sealed area, warning the public not to sit, gather, or engage in any activities there.
The “Himpunan Rakyat Benci Rasuah” rally was planned to start in front of the shopping mall before making its way to Dataran Merdeka.
Meanwhile, Dataran Merdeka was also blocked off for vehicles.
Barricades were set up on the road entering the square near an entrance to public parking.
Large sections of the main road leading to Dataran Merdeka were blocked off as well.
In the barricaded area, a red sign by DBKL stated that the site was closed to any activities.
But small groups of tourists mill around the historic square, purchasing iced beverages and taking pictures.
When asked about the barricades, DBKL officials at the site claimed this was a standard practice unrelated to the upcoming protest.
Despite the barriers, around 50 protesters were seen gathered near Sogo earlier, mostly clad in black T-shirts.
Also present were Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy, PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan, activist Fahmi Reza, former MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya, and Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek.
Some of the participants could be heard chanting “Hidup, hidup, anak muda” (long live the youths) and “kita turun, kita lawan” (we’re here, we’ll fight).
[More to follow] - Malaysiakini, 25/1/2025
Bowing to public pressure, Malaysia PM Anwar now says anti-graft rally can go ahead in KL
The government has been widely panned for trying to block the peaceful, anti-corruption rally, with critics saying Datuk Seri Anwar and his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition had, in the past, hardly heeded calls by police to get permits to hold similar protests.
He faced further public pressure when on Jan 23, nine former presidents of the Malaysian Bar that groups local lawyers said in a joint statement that the Anwar government is widely seen as failing to uphold judicial independence, particularly when compared with the three previous administrations.
“We have no problem (with the rally),” Mr Anwar told reporters. “Permission has been granted. The Home Minister (Saifuddin Nasution) himself said so.
“There are just certain locations where approval hasn’t been granted. But, for me, there’s no issue,” he was quoted as saying by the Free Malaysia Today news site, after performing Friday prayers at a university in Dengkil, Selangor.
Professor James Chin, an Asian studies expert at the University of Tasmania, told The Straits Times: “People kept reminding him of his hypocrisy. He was a student leader who did a lot of demonstrations without police permits. When he was opposition leader, he used to criticise the government for blocking peaceful demonstrations.”
Mr Anwar told reporters that the protest could go ahead, but that he doubted that any corruption had taken place during his tenure as prime minister.
He came to power after the November 2022 general election, promising reforms and taking a strong anti-graft stance. But he has been accused of being soft on corruption in his two years in power, especially when it involved political allies such as several leaders of Umno.
Separately, Datuk Seri Saifuddin told reporters that he had informed the Cabinet on Jan 24 of “the government’s respect for the freedom of assembly guaranteed by the federal Constitution.”
“We will facilitate the rally in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act. Organisers and participants must comply with the rules, including not bringing sharp weapons or minors,” he said.
This was the opposite of what the authorities had been saying in the past few days. Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Isa had earlier on Jan 24 said the rally organiser had yet to prove that it had obtained permission from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to use Merdeka Square as the site of the rally.
Mr Saifuddin himself had on Jan 21 defended a police directive requiring the organiser to seek permission from both the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the owners of Sogo shopping centre, where rally-goers plan to begin their 1km march to Merdeka Square.
Police had also warned the public against attending the gathering, saying that the organiser had failed to comply with legal requirements, including obtaining consent from the venue owners.
The rally organiser in turn responded by saying that the necessary notices had been submitted in compliance with the Peaceful Assembly Act.
The organiser, a previously unknown group that calls itself People’s Secretariat Against Corruption, aims to gather some 50 organisations for the rally, and members of the main opposition groups, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, have also said they would participate.
Critics have pointed out that Mr Anwar and his PH coalition have a long history of organising street protests, having mobilised tens of thousands of supporters following his dismissal as deputy prime minister in 1998, as well as for numerous other demonstrations over the years before coming to power.
People’s Secretariat spokesman Zaim Zulkifli said: “We do not merely question the government for political purposes or to gain attention. We are concerned with their stance on several misconduct and corruption issues, particularly the acquittal of Zahid Hamidi and Rosmah Mansor’s cases.” The High Court in Sept 2023 discharged Deputy Prime Minister Zahid from all 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering, while former premier Najib Razak’s wife Rosmah was in December 2024 acquitted of 17 money laundering and tax evasion charges.
“We are organising this protest to demand the government’s action on the current hopelessness of integrity, and anti-corruption issues,” he told ST.
The rally’s agenda calls for three key demands, he said. These are to separate the Attorney-General’s Chambers from the Prime Minister’s Office, free the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from political interference, and introduce a long-awaited political funding Act.
Since joining forces with former rival Umno to form the coalition government after the 2022 polls, Mr Anwar has faced public anger when Umno leaders – such as Datuk Seri Zahid and Najib – appeared to have been given reprieves in some of their corruption cases.
Meanwhile, anti-graft agency MACC has launched probes into at least three of Mr Anwar’s opponents, including former premiers Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin.
Mr Anwar has denied any involvement in influencing court cases or investigations.
The Jan 23 statement by the nine former Malaysian Bar presidents focused on the alleged complicity of the Anwar government in recent graft cases.
“The pressures put on the judiciary in the last several years by external forces were clear to many of us, who know the signs only too well,” they said in their statement.
“It is widely perceived that the previous three governments valued and respected judicial independence more than the current government, which is extremely disappointing, to say the least.”
The three previous governments were led by former premiers Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Muhyiddin and Mahathir.
- Hazlin Hassan is Malaysia correspondent for The Straits Times, 24/1/2025
DAP fully supports today's anti-corruption rally, says Nga
SUNGAI SIPUT: DAP fully supports the anti-corruption rally scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur today (Jan 25).
Its vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming said the event's aims were aligned with the government's principles of rejecting any form of corruption or corrupt practices.
"The anti-corruption spirit is indeed a core part of the Madani government's struggle. Therefore, if people want to gather or hold a demonstration, go ahead.
"The prime minister has already announced (not to obstruct the rally) yesterday, and I follow the home minister's directive for the police to facilitate the gathering.
"So, let us all support the government in its full-fledged fight against corruption," he told reporters after visiting a newly built house under the ministry for a poor family at the Rimba Panjang Chinese New Village here today.
He added that there were no issues with organising such gatherings as long as all parties adhered to the regulations stipulated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
This included obtaining approval from the police and local authorities and ensuring that the rally proceeded smoothly without any incident.
"In the past, I was on the streets too, and I've applied (for rally permits) many times. We give the 10-day notice, and then it's allowed, provided the rally remains peaceful.
"However, just because rallies are allowed, it doesn't mean people can bring Molotov cocktails, rifles, pistols or parang. That's not acceptable," he said.
Nga added that bringing banners and wearing clothes, including those of Avengers superheroes like Iron Man, Superman and SpiderMan, was fine.
When asked if DAP would encourage its members to join the rally since Amanah was doing the same thing, Nga said he would leave it to the members.
"I leave it to the members, but I know that most have already returned to their hometowns for Chinese New Year.
"If there was a more appropriate date that did not coincide with the festive period, it would have been suitable," he said. - NST,25/1/2025
Rally should be allowed, says Suhakam as govt attempts to block anti-graft protest near Sogo
The rights commission reiterates growing criticism of the government and police in attempt to stop rally
The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has added its voice to mounting calls for the authorities to allow an anti-corruption rally in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow after the government and police insisted that organisers get permission from owners and occupants of the two public venues where the gathering is to be held.
Suhakam chairman Mohd Hishamudin Yunus said the conditions imposed on the organisers were not relevant as both Dataran Merdeka and the area outside the Sogo shopping centre are public places.
He also said that the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) stipulates that organisers only need to notify the police five days before a gathering to ensure that it runs smoothly.
"Suhakam's position is that the assembly should be allowed," Hishamudin told MalaysiaNow when asked about the commission's position on the matter.
"The issue of permission from the landowners does not arise as the event is being held in a public place and not on private property," he said, adding that the right to assemble is enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.
Hishamudin called on the police to facilitate the rally participants tomorrow.
Police have claimed the rally organised by Sekretariat Rakyat Benci Rasuah was in violation of PAA as the organisers had not obtained permission from premise owners, a position immediately repeated by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution.
Vocal rights lawyer Zaid Malek said that not only were the government and police making absurd demands, but it also showed the hypocrisy of the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
"This tactic of imposing unlawful and unnecessary requirements is a tactic we have seen before under the old BN government, and it is sickening that it continues under the unity government led by PH," said Zaid, who is also the legal adviser for the organisers.
The rally will start from the Sogo shopping centre to Dataran Merdeka, where PH has held many rallies in the last two decades when it was the opposition.
"During Bersih 4, PH leaders had condemned this same demand by police to obtain permission to enter Dataran Merdeka. It is thus sheer hypocrisy for Saifuddin Nasution and the Madani government to insist we now get permission to march to Dataran," Zaid said.
Zaid said organisers had fully complied with PAA.
"Permission from owner or occupier of premises does not arise as the rally will be held in public places. Dataran Merdeka and the road in front of Sogo would fall under the definition of 'public place' under Section 3 of PAA," he said, adding that police had also not responded to organisers' request for a meeting to resolve the matter.
"It shows their intention to hinder the rally from taking place." - Malaysia Now, 24/1/2025
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