| Walk For Freedom 2011: Peaceful Assembly Bill Cannot And Must Not Become Law! |
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| Friday, 25 November 2011 02:11pm | |
Dear Members of the Malaysian Bar
Walk For Freedom 2011: Peaceful Assembly Bill Cannot And Must Not Become Law!
Tuesday, 29 Nov 2011 at 11:30 am, From Royal Lake Club to Parliament
Martin
Luther King Jr once said that “the ultimate measure of a man is not
where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he
stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
The
Malaysian Bar and indeed Malaysia is now facing such a moment of
challenge and controversy — an objectionable Bill, being rushed into law
with unseemly haste without adequate public consultation, which
effectively robs the rakyat of our constitutional right to freedom of
assembly.
This
Peaceful Assembly Bill (“Bill”) is far more restrictive than the
current law. It is not a piece of legislation which we, as lawyers, can
watch enter our statute books without standing up against it. It is
not a piece of legislation which we want future generations to inherit,
without us walking, and spending every ounce of our energy to oppose.
If this piece of legislation makes it to the statute books, future
generations would inherit a nation that is far from modern and
progressive.
Members of the Bar are now called upon to march to object to this Bill. The walk will take place next Tuesday, 29 Nov 2011,
from the entrance of the Royal Lake Club to Parliament House, to
deliver the Bar’s Proposed Amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Bill to
YB Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department. Members are advised to gather in their court attire at 11:30 am outside the Royal Lake Club entrance.
The Prime Minister, in his eve of Malaysia Day 2011 speech, had promised that:
This Bill is not in line with international norms because of, amongst others:
(1)
Prohibition of street protests (defined widely as “open air assembly
which begins with a meeting at a specified place and consists of walking
in a mass march or rally for the purpose of objecting to or advancing a
particular cause or causes”);
(2) Prohibition of organisation of assemblies by persons below the age of twenty one years;
(3) Prohibition of participation in peaceful assemblies of children below the age of fifteen years;
(4) Unduly onerous responsibilities and restrictions on organisers and assemblies; and
(5) Excessive fines for non-compliance of the Bill.
Therefore
this Bill is not “in accordance with the supremacy of the Constitution,
rule of law and respect for basic human rights and individual rights”,
which the Prime Minister promised it would be.
The
Bill is in its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat, and in all
likelihood it will be passed after the third reading. We must remain
hopeful that we can make a difference, through our Walk for Freedom. We
must urge the Prime Minister to amend the Bill by way of public
consultation to ensure that Malaysia will have a legislation in the
public interest, which truly upholds, protects and promotes our
constitutional right to freedom of assembly.
We
feel let down by how far short this Bill falls in relation to what the
Malaysian people were promised in the Prime Minister’s Malaysia Day 2011
message. In short, the Prime Minister must walk his own talk.
Please click on the links below to view the:
Please contact Gayathiri Paneerselvam, Officer, by telephone at 03-2050 2089 or by email at gayathiri.p@malaysianbar.org.my, should you have any queries.
I call on all Members to support us in this crucial initiative. See you on Tuesday, let’s walk!
Lim Chee Wee
President
Malaysian Bar
25 Nov 2011
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