PKR SUPREME Council Member cum PKR Sabah Dr Roland Chia is very disappointed with The Dewan Rakyat today which passed the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill, which bars street protests, with only six adjustments to the original proposal.
The BN lawmakers bulldozed this bill despite a walkout by the opposition as well as a protest march led by more than 1000 lawyers from the Bar Council. He said this after participated in the concluded peaceful gathering with NGOs in Tugu Datuk Peter Mojuntin, in Donggongon, Penampang earlier today in opposing the Peaceful Assembly Act.
The Bill should not have been tabled in the first place instead it should be withdrawn and be put before a select committee. “This Bill does not protect national security, only the security of BN leaders,”. Dr Roland Chia lamented.
The passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill is making the Malaysian government leading into the footsteps of toppled Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak by barring protests from taking place on the streets and at least 20 other kinds of venues.
The Bill prohibits assemblies from being held at dams, reservoirs, water catchment areas, water treatment plants, electricity generating stations, petrol stations, hospitals, fire stations, airports, railways, land public transport terminals, ports, canals, docks, wharves, piers, bridges, marinas, places of worship and kindergartens and schools.
Dr Roland Chia questioned how the government intended to “become the best democracy in the world” when it was “making it more difficult to gather than in Zimbabwe and Myanmar.”
Dr Roland Chia was referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s statement just days after his September 15 pledge of democratic reforms, including repealing the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA), that the move was to make Malaysia the world’s best democracy.
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