The authorities should study carefully the recent freedom of assembly report by the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) before making any hasty statements, a commissioner said today.

"The report is about setting guidelines so that assemblies will remain peaceful. I think they (authorities) should be more open-minded; they should study it first before opening their mouths," Prof Hamdan Adnan said.

He told this to reporters meeting with a few ex-volunteers of the Mercy Welfare Society who handed over a memorandum to Suhakam at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad last Saturday criticised the 16-month-old human rights body, stating that the commission ignored issues of national security when it released its 32-page report the day before.

The report calls for, amongst others, the easing up of police permit issuance, the setting up of a 'speakers corner' and reviews on laws such as the Police Act and the Public Order (Preservation) Act, both of which regulate the freedom to assemble.

"Suhakam is just one group of people, but the interests of the majority of the people have to be taken into consideration," Mahathir said.

Public assemblies

In another report today, minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim also joined the fray when he said the body should not "suggest that people should be holding assemblies or should be doing things which in its (Suhakam) opinion should be the order of the day".

However, Hamdan said there is no reason for the government to be afraid of allowing public assemblies.

"Peaceful public assemblies are allowed for in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. They should not be afraid of their own shadows but what is happening is that they are getting more afraid of their shadows.

"We are just doing our job accordingly," Hamdan added.

Opposition party PAS recently defied a police ban on open-air public rallies and pledged to continue with its political gatherings.

Two weeks later, 10 individuals, including a few PAS Youth leaders, were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), some for their alleged involvement in the Malaysian Mujahidin Group, the others for being a "threat to national security".