Curbs on assembly: ‘Withdraw the Bill’

Tarani Palani | November 23, 2011

The Bill is pushing the country from 'the mouth of a crocodile into the mouth of a tiger', says the opposition.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat today voiced its opposition to the Peaceful Assembly Bill which it claimed contradicts the “guarantee” given by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to create a freer society.

It is also wants the proposed Bill retracted.

Its leader Anwar Ibrahim said that Pakatan “strongly opposed” the Bill as it showed that Malaysia was regressive as other countries moved forward.

“There are many new terms (in the Bill) that give absolute power to the police… including a provision that one must make an appeal to the Home Minister.

“We are the one country in the world that passes more oppressive laws than Myanmar (which is promoting a more democratic society) ,” he said after the Pakatan presidential leadership meeting here.

Pakatan leaders voiced their dissatisfaction with the Bill and promised a heated discussion over the matter when it is debated tomorrow.

The Peaceful Assembly Bill is part of the reforms announced in September by Najib to create a freer society by abolishing many repressive laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA).

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said that the Bill was a “step backwards” from the “mirage” created by Najib in September that Malaysia was “going to be the best democracy in the world”.

“The fines – imposing a maximum of RM10,000 and RM 20,000 on people who refuse to disperse – are restrictions which are not even in the current laws… this is undemocratic,” said Lim, the Ipoh Timur MP.

More pressure on civil liberties

PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said that the arrests of 13 alleged militants in Tawau, Sabah, under the ISA, and the restraints contained in the Bill showed that there was more pressure on civil liberties in Malaysia.

He also took a swipe at the 30-day notice which must be given to the police to hold an assembly.

“If tomorrow Israel wants to attack Saudi Arabia, we need to wait for 30 days to get a clearance to hold a protest against the Israeli action.

“Also, we are worried if the Bill will affect small political ceramah. Now we only need to give a 10-day notice,” he said.

Another party vice-president, Mahfuz Omar, described the proposed Bill as pushing the country “from the mouth of a crocodile into the the mouth of a tiger”.

Meanwhile, Pakatan will also hand over a memorandum of protest to get Bill withdrawn to Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) tomorrow.