COMMENT | Tomorrow morning at 11am, a group of Malaysian NGOs are organising a public march from Padang Merbok to Parliament to demand the setup of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

On Friday, April 8, the police sent a letter to these NGOs stating that their notification of assembly was rejected. However, as the reply from the police came 10 days after their notification - instead of within the 5 days required by the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 - the NGOs have decided that "the assembly shall proceed as proposed in the notification", as per Section 14 (2) of the same Act.

The police are the first and most crucial line of defence when it comes to the protection of everyday citizens like you and me.

Theirs is a near-sacred duty to keep us safe from harm and crime...