Police quiz 11 #Lawan participants, activists insist protest followed SOP
Eleven participants of Saturday’s #Lawan protest near Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur have been questioned by the police today.
Lead counsel Rajsurian Pillai told Malaysiakini that the 11 were called to the Dang Wangi police headquarters this morning to have their statements taken, and most of them were released by 12.30pm...
Eleven participants of Saturday’s #Lawan protest near Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur have been questioned by the police today.
Lead counsel Rajsurian Pillai told Malaysiakini that the 11 were called to the Dang Wangi police headquarters this morning to have their statements taken, and most of them were released by 12.30pm.
“Nobody has been called back (for further investigation). If anyone was, we would cooperate fully,” he said, adding that no compound was issued.
The lawyer said he anticipates more people to be called by the police for investigation as Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani yesterday confirmed 29 individuals were identified in the protest.
“More could be identified later as the police are going through videos and pictures of the event and are trying to ID (identify) faces,” Rajsurian said.
The participants are being investigated under Act 342 and Regulation 17(1) of the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Regulations (PPPDPB) Measures in Local Areas of Infection (National Rehabilitation Plan) 2021 and other relevant acts.
'Strict SOP adhered during protest'
Rajsurian also shared a statement from his client and protest organiser Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR).
Condemning the investigation by the police, SSR insisted the protest was done with strict adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and criticised the government for practising double standards when it came to enforcing the SOP.
“As we have stressed, the gathering was done with strict SOP and even Suhakam confirmed the gathering adhered to SOP and all participants were practising physical distancing and wearing face masks.
“We would like to stress that the Keluar dan #Lawan protest was not done merely for fun like the durian feast of the deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker or the politikus meeting at the prime minister’s house, which were clearly held in closed spaces,” the statement said.
The statement was referring to the recent incidents of alleged SOP breach by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Dewan Rakyat’s deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon.
PSM: Time for cops and AG to reconsider SOP
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan also chimed in on the issue, saying it is time for the authorities to stop the practice of public assembly investigations.
“It is time the police and the AG reconsider the SOP and do away with this obsolete practice,” he said in a statement today.
Citing the amount of work the police are getting after another protest happened this morning, Arutchelvan argued the investigations are unnecessary and police resources could be deployed elsewhere.
“The irony is this whole exercise is a waste of police time and is a bureaucratic glitch which does not do anyone any good.
“It is time the new IGP put forward a new set of SOP for public assemblies which I am sure his own officers will be relieved without the burden of investigations on such assemblies and they can focus on crime-busting,” Arutchelvan added.
PSM's central committee member Sharan Raj has also been called by police for investigation tomorrow over his participation in Saturday's protest.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Bar said it was disheartened by police investigations against the protesters.
"While the Malaysian Bar fully recognises that public health and safety must be prioritised during these times, we nevertheless subscribe to the opinion that open dialogue and communication must not be stifled.
"Constitutional rights under Article 10 should not be sacrificed during a pandemic as long as adequate public health measures are employed.
"Citizens must be permitted to express their dissent, as the capacity to voice dissent is a hallmark of a functioning democracy," Malaysian Bar president AG Kalidas said in a statement.
He added that the police should have facilitated the crowd’s compliance with safety measures in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, instead of being seen to muzzle the crowd’s right to assemble peacefully.
He urged the police to exercise restraint in the treatment of activists and protesters.
"Civil rights and liberties must be upheld, irrespective of whether we are in a pandemic," he said.
