Gombak MP Azmin Ali has urged the authorities to allow the people to express themselves through peaceful protests, following reports of activists being investigated over their alleged involvement in a gathering at Dataran Merdeka on Feb 29.
He stressed that the rights of all Malaysians to peacefully protest or express their views are enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“There have been numerous views expressed over the political developments of the past week but rather than being overly sensitive about them, I strongly believe that difference of viewpoints are essential for a vibrant and healthy democracy.
“In this regard, I urge the authorities to allow the public to express themselves and not to subject those who engage in peaceful protests to police investigations.
“Nevertheless, I understand the police are exercising their duty to preserve public order and security,” Azmin said in a statement today.
Azmin is the former PKR deputy president who defected to Bersatu who has since left Pakatan Harapan.
He said he agrees with inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador who had called on the gathering organisers to respect the law and provide early notifications for holding rallies under the provisions of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA).
Democracy, he said, warrants a “spirited contestation of ideas” which means that the public must be free to express their views in a peaceful manner without disrupting public order and security.
Activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri is being probed by the police under section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 over her social media postings about the rally on Saturday night.
Activists Marina Mahathir and Ambiga Sreenevasan are also reportedly being investigated by the police for their alleged involvement in the Saturday rally.
The peaceful demonstration was organised outside the Sogo shopping complex by a group calling itself the “Save Malaysia Demonstration Committee”, which claims to comprise of civil society organisations.
The group had called for the dissolution of parliament, the continuation of trials against those accused of corruption and to ban “party hopping”.
