I read with amazement of some of the statements made by political and NGO leaders about the ‘planned’ red shirt rally. Some of the arguments are quite confusing, if not mind-boggling.

Political posturing aside,the issues at hand are in fact simple.

1. Is the rally legal? (We enjoy legal right to peaceful assembly, but not all assemblies are necessarily legal.)

2. If it is legal, how should the police manage facilitate and carry out their duties?

1. The red shirt rally is illegal.

• No one to date claims to be the organiser or acts as the organiser.
• The 10-days notification to the police has not been done. The details of the rally, exact time and venue, the planned route, the speakers’ particulars are completely unknown.
• The aggrieved neighbourhoods and parties have not had the opportunity to express their concern and objection under the law (police not sure where exactly the venues and route will be, and unable to notify the possible aggrieved parties for comment).
• The purpose of a rally must not be creating hostility, feeling of ill will, commission of crimes etc (the choice of venues, the bloodshed posters that went viral, etc, all point to one thing - malice, ill will, hatred and possible violence).

All these are regulated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, a law that was enacted by the BN government.

2. What should the police do?

Really, nothing much. Enforce the law. period.

The remarks by leaders not objecting to members attending; free to participate if peaceful and not contravening laws; rally could be held in stadium instead, encourage participation, etc, etc are all fairly hollow talk.

BN make the laws for a reason. To regulate peaceful assembly as a constitutional right. BN leaders should take the lead to follow the laws.

I sincerely hope my party leaders and BN component parties’ leaders could articulate in a coherent manner our case against the rally in tomorrow’s BN supreme council meeting, national interest, peace and harmony included, of course.

GAN PING SIEU is co-president, Centre For A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet).