Demonstrators condemn cops for blocking protest at Parliament

Summary

• Protesters criticise police for blocking access to Parliament, where they intended to submit memoranda on reforming the Peaceful Assembly Act and repealing the Sedition Act.

• Sekretariat Himpun says the obstruction undermines democratic rights, urging for public access to be restored and for meaningful stakeholder consultation on proposed legal amendments.

Protesters have condemned the police for allegedly obstructing their efforts to submit two memoranda to MPs at Parliament this morning.

Incidentally, one of the memoranda called for reforms to the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012, while the other was on repealing the Sedition Act 1948.

According to the organiser Sekretariat Himpun, the protest proceeded peacefully but was met with a heavy police presence, which set up a human barricade less than 100m from the entrance to the Parliament complex.

This purportedly comprised over 60 police personnel, including members of the Light Strike Force (LSF), who prevented the protesters from proceeding further as it was a “prohibited area”.

A protester was also allegedly pushed by an officer during ongoing negotiations between the protesters and the police.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, peaceful assemblies were permitted to take place past the Parliament gates to submit memoranda.

“Since then, access has been arbitrarily curtailed, with protesters confined to the public road outside Parliament grounds, undermining the democratic function of assemblies,” it said in a statement today.

Sekretariat Himpunan stressed that protests include the right to demonstrate “within sight and sound” of the intended audience, as asserted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly.

“This is a key democratic function of protest - bringing public demands directly to those in power,” it added.

The statement was endorsed by 12 civil society groups, including Mandiri, Suaram, Bersih, Centre for Independent Journalism, Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia, Justice for Sisters, Amnesty International Malaysia, and the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism.

As a result of the obstruction, Sekretariat Himpun said MPs and their representatives had to leave the Parliament compound to receive the memoranda.

The group urged for meaningful public access to Parliament to be restored, including clear and reasonable protocols for assemblies, in line with international human rights standards, to approach Parliament for memorandum handovers.

Further engagement needed on PAA

In its memorandum on the PAA, the group highlighted issues with the law and urged the government to pause upcoming amendments to the Act.

This is to allow for a thorough engagement with various stakeholders, such as human rights groups and civil society organisations, before tabling the amendment bill.

As for the memorandum on the Sedition Act, the group urged the government to issue a moratorium on its enforcement, pending a full repeal of the law.

Misuse of Sedition Act

It highlighted the instances where the Sedition Act has allegedly been abused to suppress dissent.

“Amending the Sedition Act does nothing to meaningfully ‘manage 3R issues (Race, Religion, Royalty) effectively’ or to curb hate speech.

“Instead, its provisions have become tools for abuse by the government – lacking clear definitions of what constitutes ‘seditious tendencies’ and removing the need to prove intent for investigations or prosecution to commence.

“Tinkering with this 76-year-old law will not change the status quo – where the government continues to define acceptable expression as it sees fit. This only reinforces a culture of self-censorship, stifling constructive public debate and democratic participation,” it said.

In April 2025, the government announced that amendments to the PAA would be tabled during Parliament’s second or third sitting this year.

Among others, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 13 that the government has agreed to amend the law and remove requirements for rally organisers to obtain permission from a venue owner.

On July 1, the Federal Court also ruled that Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, which punishes rally organisers if they fail to provide police with at least five days’ notice, is unconstitutional.

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