The police confirmed today that it will be calling up around 90 participants of a physically-distanced sit-in protest yesterday in front of the Parliament where participants broke their fast together for Ramadan.
Bukit Aman police said the participants will be investigated under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for allegedly not applying for a police permit to hold the event, which among others called for the Parliament to reconvene and an end to the Emergency.
“Checks found that there was no application received by the Dang Wangi district police headquarters from any parties to hold the assembly,” it said in a brief note to the media.
“All those who were found to be involved in the assembly will be called to give their statements soon,” it added.
A report was lodged by a police officer who led the security patrol of the Parliament yesterday.
The police also said that the assembly was held peacefully, with no arrests or anything seized by the police.
Section 9 of the Act requires an organiser of an event to notify the Officer in Charge of a Police District in which the assembly is to be held, or be fined not more than RM10,000.
The section was amended in 2019. Prior to that, organiser needed to do so ten days before.
The rally yesterday was nicknamed “Buka puasa, buka Parlimen” — a play on the Malay word referring to the act of its Muslim participants breaking their fast, and to reopen the Parliament.
Organised by a myriad of youth groups which dubbed themselves as Solidariti Rakyat, they listed six demands for Putrajaya: to end the state of Emergency and reconvene Parliament, to implement Undi 18 immediately, the enforcement of just and humane laws, strengthening the rights of Sabah and Sarawak, strengthening a safe education system for all Malaysians and the guarantee of a sustainable economy for the people.
Also present among the crowd were Parti Pejuang Tanah Air president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) secretary-general Amir Abdul Hadi, representatives from DAP Socialist Youth, PKR and Amanah Youth members apart from ordinary Malaysian youths.
Malaysia is currently under a state of Emergency, and the Parliament remains prorogued despite that Yang di-Pertuan Agong saying that sitting can continue. – MMO