Anwar, police slammed for 'unlawful' conditions on planned rally outside Sogo, Dataran

The organisers of an upcoming anti-corruption rally in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday have slammed the Anwar Ibrahim administration for attempts to stop people from peaceful protests, after police told them to obtain consent from the owner and occupier of the assembly point.

Zaid Malek, the legal adviser for Sekretariat Rakyat Benci Rasuah which is organising the rally that will commence from the Sogo shopping centre to Dataran Merdeka, said the demand has no legal basis, despite police citing the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA).

"These are all public places which can be used by the public ‘as of right’, as stated in Section 3 of the PAA," said Zaid, who is also part of rights group Lawyers for Liberty.

"Why are the police then imposing unnecessary and irrelevant conditions? The purpose of the PAA is to facilitate public gatherings, and not to impede or obstruct it," he said, responding to a letter from Dang Wangi district police chief.

Zaid said police and the government must respect the right to peaceful assembly as enshrined in PAA and the constitution, adding that they should instead facilitate the planned protest against corruption.

"The Madani government, helmed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, should be well aware of the importance of peaceful protests in a democratic society," he said, adding that Anwar himself was had led many large public gatherings. 

"Those who wish to gather have a right to do so; and no respectable democratic government should obstruct or stop a protest against corruption in the country."