New Pakatan Harapan-led government - BUT here again an example of the denial of the right of peaceful assembly...
When will the laws that restrict the right to peaceful assembly will be repealed?
Like freedom of opinion and freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly/protest is a fundamental human right. There must be no requirement for application of 'PERMISSION' from the government/police ...most peaceful assembly/protest do not even have any leaders or organisers...as was the case of the REFORMASI protests...people come together in solidarity to express their opinions/protest...(as such, the need for prior applications or even notices is a VIOLATION of one's right to peaceful assembly)
What should the police and government do? Well, they should protect the people exercising their right to peacefully protest...They ensure that different groups with opposing views are separated...they ensure that traffic flow is not hindered...or is diverted...
Where is the repeal of the laws that prevent the exercise of the right of peaceful assembly.
Worse still, is the response of the current Deputy Home Minister who really does not even understand the meaning of the right of peaceful assembly and/or protest...
Deputy home minister Datuk Azis Jamman just do not understand...and behaves as though he is still part of the old UMNO-BN regime..
Deputy home minister Datuk Azis Jamman has chastised the eight activists who were arrested for staging a protest earlier this morning for taking their issues to the streets on Malaysia Day.
The reason behind a peaceful assembly and/or protest is for people to HIGHLIGHT certain concerns...promote certain views...lobby public support... and for this, they certainly do not need Government(or police) permission - This is a fundamental human right...part of that very same freedom of opinion/expression category of rights...
Yes, people could also write to the government ...have meetings, hand-over memorandums, etc ....but that often is rather ineffective....So many memorandums have been sent to the past government, and there have NOT EVEN a response to many of these...“Write in to us and we will facilitate a roundtable discussion. That is the way to do it. They need to discard this opposition mentality of protesting and taking to the streets,” Azis told Malay Mail when contacted.
Lobbying greater support for an issue/concern/opinion ...that is what a peaceful assembly/protest soughts to do....maybe even attract media attention...
Of course, the venue one organises a peaceful assembly must be one that gets access to the most number of people ...
A peaceful assembly/protest - is not 'a gathering of people of a common stand gathering in a closed hall/stadium shouting slogans, passing out pamphlets, making speeches ....well, that was what the previous UMNO-BN regime wanted...
A peaceful assembly/protest is all about lobbying greater support from others...we call the REFORMASI peaceful assembly/protest along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, KLCC...we then recall the BERSIH rallies and protest...wonder whether Azis
Jamman ever took part in any such peaceful assembly/protest...
A peaceful assembly/protest do highlight issues and do speed up government response... Statements protesting the recent proposed RM50 increase in minimum wage by the new government have not even got a positive response...BUT if tens of thousands come out exercising their right to a peaceful assembly demanding that minimum wages be increased to RM1,500 now...I believe that the government will 'hear' and act positively...
It is good to see that some Ministers have come up positively...
Mat Sabu & Syed Saddiq against arrests of peaceful protesters on Malaysia Day in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: Defence Minister Mohamad
Sabu says there was no reason to detain activists for staging a protest
at Gaya Street in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday (Sept 15) as such protests
were a normal part of democracy.
The Parti Amanah Negara president better known as Mat Sabu, who is in town for the national level Malaysia Day celebrations, said there was no problem as the protesters did not take up arms.
"That (protests) is a normal thing for a democratic nation.
"I was also detained tens of times. It's normal, it's not a big issue.
"The activists didn't take up arms so there is no problem," Mat Sabu told reporters here on Sunday (Sept 16) after paying a courtesy call on Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal at a hotel here.
Earlier on Sunday (Sept 16) morning, a crowd of about 100 joined the “Pandang Ke Sabah” rally, co-organised by several student groups.
Eight activists were detained and claimed to have been manhandled by police trying to disperse the crowd.
Sabah Parti Amanah Negara Youth chief Mohd Khairudin Daud was among the eight arrested.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Azis Jamman had given his word that the activists would be released by 7pm on Sunday, said Sabah Parti Amanah Negara chief Haris Alimudin.
"They are just being detained by the police to have their statements recorded," he said, adding that Mohd Khairudin will not be subject to disciplinary action by the party as he was merely practising the principle of democracy.
"Both sides did their jobs. One side practised democracy and the other did their job as the law enforcement," he said.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who is also in town for the Malaysia Day celebrations, pledged his support for the eight activists.
"I just finished my townhall (meeting) with the Youths here. Am otw (on the way) to the police station to help them.
"In the new Malaysia, the right to peaceful protest should be safeguarded even if it’s against the ruling-gov (government) interest," he tweeted.
Sabah Bersih chairman Beverly Joeman said the peaceful assembly was aimed at raising awareness and to urge the government to look into and solve 10 issues affecting Sabah.
These include education, poverty, native land, citizenship, housing, security, environment and job opportunities, she said.
The Parti Amanah Negara president better known as Mat Sabu, who is in town for the national level Malaysia Day celebrations, said there was no problem as the protesters did not take up arms.
"That (protests) is a normal thing for a democratic nation.
"I was also detained tens of times. It's normal, it's not a big issue.
"The activists didn't take up arms so there is no problem," Mat Sabu told reporters here on Sunday (Sept 16) after paying a courtesy call on Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal at a hotel here.
Earlier on Sunday (Sept 16) morning, a crowd of about 100 joined the “Pandang Ke Sabah” rally, co-organised by several student groups.
Eight activists were detained and claimed to have been manhandled by police trying to disperse the crowd.
Sabah Parti Amanah Negara Youth chief Mohd Khairudin Daud was among the eight arrested.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Azis Jamman had given his word that the activists would be released by 7pm on Sunday, said Sabah Parti Amanah Negara chief Haris Alimudin.
"They are just being detained by the police to have their statements recorded," he said, adding that Mohd Khairudin will not be subject to disciplinary action by the party as he was merely practising the principle of democracy.
"Both sides did their jobs. One side practised democracy and the other did their job as the law enforcement," he said.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who is also in town for the Malaysia Day celebrations, pledged his support for the eight activists.
"I just finished my townhall (meeting) with the Youths here. Am otw (on the way) to the police station to help them.
"In the new Malaysia, the right to peaceful protest should be safeguarded even if it’s against the ruling-gov (government) interest," he tweeted.
Sabah Bersih chairman Beverly Joeman said the peaceful assembly was aimed at raising awareness and to urge the government to look into and solve 10 issues affecting Sabah.
These include education, poverty, native land, citizenship, housing, security, environment and job opportunities, she said.
In the latest development, the eight arrested youths, including Sabah Amanah Youth chief Mohd Khairudin Daud, were all released at 5pm Sunday after police completed recording their statements. - Star, 16/9/2018
After arrests, deputy home minister slams street protests as ‘unnecessary’
.jpg "Participants of the ‘Pandang Ke Sabah’ rally are arrested by the police at Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu. — Picture via Facebook/Amir Abd Hadi")
KOTA KINABALU, Sept 16 — Deputy home minister Datuk Azis
Jamman has chastised the eight activists who were arrested for staging a
protest earlier this morning for taking their issues to the streets on
Malaysia Day.
Calling
it unnecessary, the MP also said one of the activists detained, Sabah
Parti Amanah Negera Youth chief Mohd Khairudin Daud, should have known
better than to stage a protest without a permit.
“Why must they protest today? As part of a
government-friendly party, he should’ve known to use the proper channel
to air his grievances. They are part of the system now.
“Write
in to us and we will facilitate a roundtable discussion. That is the
way to do it. They need to discard this opposition mentality of
protesting and taking to the streets,” Azis told Malay Mail when contacted.
Amanah is part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition that governs Putrajaya and Sabah.
Azis also said that police action against the group
showed that security enforcers did not take political sides when it
comes to the law.
Earlier today, eight participants of about 100-person
crowd in the “Pandang Ke Sabah” rally, co-organised by several student
groups were detained by police and allegedly manhandled while trying to
disperse the crowd.
The detainees claimed to have been punched and many sustained injuries.
They were protesting for 10 demands including equal
education rights, better public transport service and job opportunities
for Sabahans.
Meanwhile, Sabah commissioner of police Datuk Omar Mammah
denied that police had been violent with the protesters, and instead
said that the group was being obstinate and refused to disperse when
asked.
“I was not there but from what I was told, they were not dispersing despite being advised to repeatedly.
“They were marching with banners and under the law this
is a protest, and they did not have a permit.
My OCPD said that they
were attracting a lot of attention. We had to stop it,” he said, using
the initials for the district police chief.
When asked about claims of violence, Omar said that the
police were trying to disperse the group but they were not following
orders.
“What choice did we have? They refused to disperse. We were doing our job but I wouldn’t call it violence,” he said.
“Malaysia Day or not, we have to follow the law. It is a
requirement that they get a permit,” said Omar when asked to comment on
criticism that such an incident marred the significance of Malaysia Day.
The eight are expected to be released later today after having their statement taken. - Malay Mail, 16/9/2018
On Malaysia Day morning, eight nabbed for protesting in Sabah
.jpg "Participants of the ‘Pandang Ke Sabah’ rally are arrested by the police at Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu. — Picture via Facebook/Amir Abd Hadi")
KOTA KINABALU, Sept 16 — Eight participants of the
“Pandang Ke Sabah” rally today were allegedly manhandled as they were
arrested by local police on the morning of Malaysia Day.
One of the detainees, Mukmin Nantang, confirmed that he
and seven friends were picked up by “a huge number of policemen” at Gaya
Street here at around 10am during the rally.
He
claimed that the participants were about to disperse after being warned
by authorities, but were then “physically attacked” before they were
able to do so.
“Some of the cops waved burning cigarettes in front of
our faces while some others started trampling on us. Punches flew and
our clothes were also ripped.
“Some
managed to evade the scene but the eight of us were nabbed. It all
happened so fast and there were so many of them,” he told Malay Mail, referring to the police.
Mukmin added that he received several cuts and bruises himself.
The 9am protest was co-organised by several student
groups including Gagasan Mahasiswa Merdeka and was joined by almost 100
participants.
Their 10 demands include equal education rights, better public transport service and job opportunities for Sabahans.
Mukmin defended the rally, saying that they did not commit anything unlawful and that their demands were fair.
“It’s the morning of Malaysia Day, for God’s sake and it
was really peaceful. We thought now that we are living in the era of
Malaysia Baharu, we are free to speak our minds,” he said.
Mukmin and seven others — Syed Syaqir Adhli Syed Redzuan,
Asrin Utong, Mohd Rosyaidi Abdul Latiff, Sabir Syarifuddin, Razdey
Ruslin, Zulfian Ansar and Mohd Khairuddin Daud — are currently at Balai
Polis Karamunsing for further investigation.
When contacted by Malay Mail, Kota Kinabalu District Police chief ACP Habibi Majinji said investigations were still ongoing.
The fate of the eight men will only be known by around 2pm, he added, but did not elaborate further.
Tonight, Padang Merdeka here will host a grand celebration of Malaysia Day. - Malay Mail, 16/9/2018
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