Protesters gather in front of the Sogo shopping complex during the Save Malaysia Demonstration on March 1, 2020. — Picture by Hari Anggara
KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Datuk Seri Azmin Ali urged the authorities today not to subject those who engage in peaceful protests to police investigations, but stressed that any demonstration must be carried out in accordance with the law.
The Gombak MP said differences in opinion should be celebrated but seemingly made the assertion in defence of his actions over the last week. Detractors see him as the key figure who engineered the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government.
The statement was made in relation to the police investigations on Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and several others who organised and attended recent public gatherings carried out over the weekend.
“The rights of all Malaysians to peacefully protest or express their views are enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” he said in a statement issued this morning.
“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 differences of viewpoints are essential for a vibrant and healthy democracy.”
Police have opened a sedition investigation against a lawyer who organised a back-to-back rally last week to protest against the power tussle that caused the PH administration to collapse and helped install a new government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin, who was appointed as the country’s eighth prime minister amid controversy over his nomination, is now the leader of a loose coalition called Perikatan Nasional that includes the former ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional.
The police investigations against the activists have raised concern that the new government was clamping down on dissent and signalled the return of the days of BN’s rule.
But yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid pledged that the police would continue to respect the public’s right to free expression, but stressed that dissent must be within legal boundaries.
Abdul Hamid also denied that the sedition investigation against the lawyer and other activists was to silence critics.
Azmin echoed the IGP’s statement.
“In this regard, I urge the authorities not to subject those who engage in peaceful protests to police investigations provided of course that these protests are carried out in accordance with the law,” he said.
“I therefore echo the statement from Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador, the Inspector-General of Police, calling on organisers to respect the law and provide early notifications for holding rallies under the provisions of the Peaceful Assembly Act.”
(20min delay)