http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=OTUzNjA3MDU5Ng==
Malaysians protest ban on street rallies
Published Date: November 30, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's parliament enacted a ban on street protests yesterday, defying hundreds of demonstrators who marched in the capital to denounce the legislation as a setback for civil liberties. Prime Minister Najib Razak had framed the law as part of a campaign to soften tough rules on security, free speech and assembly as he looks to shore up support ahead of elections he is expected to call next year. The assembly law replaces legislation that required a police permit for public gatherings, butcritics complain it contains a range of new restrictions including an outright ban on street marches.
The government-controlled parliament passed the bill into law just hours after about 500 lawyers, opposition lawmakers and activists marched in the capital Kuala Lumpur to parliament calling for its withdrawal. Chanting "Bebas berhimpun" ("Free assembly"), the demonstrators denounced the law as a violation of constitutional protections of free speech and a sign that Najib was breaking his pledge to bolster civil liberties. The law "infringes on the rights of the people and violates the constitution," said Wong Chin Huat of the group Bersih 2.0, which spearheaded a rally for electoral reform in July that was broken up by police.
If they don't change the law, (Najib's government) will pay the price when voters abandon the government in the next general elections," he said during the march. Najib has defended the legislation, saying it guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. But it has been assailed by opposition politicians who view Najib's reform push as a cynical election ploy, arguing the bill confirms their fears that tough old laws will merely be replaced by strict new rules. The law allows gatherings to be held in designated places, such as stadiums, without prior notice, while those in other areas would first require police approval.
Malaysian Bar Council President Lim Chee Wee said the ban on street demonstrations was "outrageous." "Assemblies in motion provide the demonstrators with a wider audience and greater visibility, in order for others to see and hear the cause or grievance giving rise to the gathering," he said. The law passed yesterday was softened slightly in the wake of the outcry, shortening the amount of notice that assembly organizers must give police to within 10 days of the event, instead of the original 30 days.
But critics including the Bar Council and Amnesty International maintain the act would grant police too much power over the timing, duration, and location of gatherings. Opponents have noted that even in authoritarian Myanmar, the notice period is just five days. In a statement, Sam Zarifi, Amnesty's Asia-Pacific director, called the law "a legislative attack on Malaysians' right to peaceful protest." A Human Rights Watch statement said the numerous new restrictions and requirements make it "virtually impossible to hold an assembly in an urban setting.
Under the close watch of dozens of riot police, the protesters marched to parliament, where they handed over a protest memorandum to a government representative. The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition now headed by Najib has been accused of routinely using tough laws to snuff out challenges to its five decades in power. But public opinion has turned against such strict measures in recent years as the once-insignificant political opposition has gained strength and soaring Internet use has fuelled more open debate. - AFP
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