Govt to amend Peaceful Assembly Act, recent probes halted - PM

Summary

• PM Anwar Ibrahim says the government has agreed to amend the Peaceful Assembly Act, remove requirements for rally organisers to obtain permission from premises owners.

• Anwar says change will facilitate those with intent to hold peaceful rallies.

PARLIAMENT | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today that the government has agreed to amend the Peaceful Assembly Act and remove requirements for rally organisers to obtain permission from a venue owner.

Anwar said the amendments will facilitate any groups with intentions to hold a peaceful assembly.

“This means the need to obtain approval from the premises owner, as mentioned under several sections, will be amended and set aside.

“Section 11 of the act that requires approval from a premises owner or residents, which is being disputed now, will be removed from existing regulations,” said Anwar (Harapan-Tambun) during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

“The Home Ministry will bring it to the next session. However, the moratorium is in effect now, meaning it applies immediately.”

With the proposed amendments, Anwar said all ongoing investigations under Section 11 of the act would be halted, including on organisers of two recent gatherings - the student-led anti-corruption in Kuala Lumpur last month and the recent protest outside Sungai Buloh prison.

Notification required

On Jan 31, police summoned 13 students for questioning over the anti-graft rally held on Jan 25, which was investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Commenting on the investigation of 13 students, the Tambun MP said the authorities had acted professionally in the absence of a clear directive to implement the moratorium.

“However, the issue now is that we have granted an exemption and a decision has been made to amend it.

“We have informed the police that while the amendment is being made, the moratorium allows for notification to be given,” he explained.

Anwar also clarified that while the amendments would allow more flexibility in choosing rally locations, regulations would still apply if the location was a security-sensitive area, such as palace grounds.

“That is why notification is required - so the police can call the organisers, ask where it will be held, estimate the expected crowd, and ensure compliance with conditions, including the prohibition of weapons. I do not think that is too complicated.

“Organisers must maintain and clean the area after a peaceful assembly. This arrangement is for today only, but I want to assure that from now on, approval will no longer be required - only a five-day notification to the police,” he added.

Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) suggested that the notification period be reduced from five days to two.

However, Anwar said this was not an issue, as larger-scale rallies require longer preparation and procedures.

‘Terrorism no small matter’

During the session, Khoo Poay Tiong (Harapan-Kota Melaka) asked whether the government was prepared to review the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

His question followed a hunger strike by families of 32 Sosma detainees outside Sungai Buloh prison, urging the government and prison authorities to allow visits and welfare checks on detainees, who were reportedly also on hunger strike.

In response, Anwar stressed that terrorism remains a serious issue and, in some cases, a strict and firm legal approach is necessary.

“There have been cases where police officers were shot dead, and it was clear that the perpetrator saw it as their duty to kill the police, followed by other leaders.

“There is no country in the world today without such laws. However, I agree with the reminder from Kota Melaka that these laws must be clear and not misused for other issues, as we experienced with the Internal Security Act previously.

“While we support freedom and democracy, we must distinguish that elements of violence and terrorism still exist, which require a different legal approach from the usual methods currently in place,” he remarked.

On Jan 30, protesters in Jakarta gathered outside the Malaysian embassy and pelted the building with eggs.

This followed reports of a confrontation on Jan 24 in Selangor waters between five Indonesian anglers and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, which resulted in one death and four injuries.

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