Najib is way Ahead of Loong in Reforming
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Six amendments to Peaceful Assembly Bill, including shortened notice period
THE Dewan Rakyat yesterday passed the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 which guarantees the right of Malaysians to gather peacefully.
There were no dissenting votes as opposition members of parliament staged a walk-out, missing out on the debate and vote on the bill.
There were six amendments to the bill, including shortening the notice period required to be given to the police for any assemblies to 10 days from 30 days as originally proposed.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, in winding up the debate, lashed out at the opposition for misleading the public and for being hypocritical.
He also took the Bar Council to task for staging a street protest against the bill “They are lawyers but they did not behave that way. I am a lawyer, too, and I am ashamed of how they behaved,” Nazri told the Dewan Rakyat, adding that although it was the fundamental right of citizens to assemble, the freedom could not be absolute.
The bill was passed before Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak denied on Monday, on the eve of the vote, that the bill was more draconian than previous laws.
He said the critics of the bill were out to confuse the public.
Opposition MPs, in staging the walk-out, claimed that the government had rushed the bill through. They wanted the bill to be referred to a parliamentary select committee for further study.
Outside the house, about 1,000 people, comprising mostly lawyers, marched from the Lake Gardens, here to the Parliament building to protest the bill.
The protesters, led by Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee, asked the government to ensure that the bill would not deprive Malaysians of the right to assemble peacefully.
TV3 reported that the protesters comprised supporters of Bersih 2.0 and the Seksualiti Merdeka festival. Some wore yellow T-shirts.
The protest caused traffic jams as police sealed off the road leading to Parliament Hundreds of members of the Federal Territory chapter of the Putra Malaysia Council, Pekida and Perkasa also turned up to show their support for the bill.
Police later allowed Lim and nine other Bar Council members to hand their memorandum to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong as well as opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Other amendments to the bill include Clause 12(b), where objections against a proposed assembly must be lodged with the police in writing within 48 hours, instead of five days.
Clause 14, which among others, requires the police to reply to organisers within five days instead of 12.
Clause 16(a), where appeals against the rejection of an application or the exercise of police discretionary orders to organisers can be done within 48 hours of receipt, instead of four days, and Clause 16(b), which requires the Home Minister to answer to any appeals within 48 hours of receipt instead of six days.
Ass Loong Son here pledged an ALL NEW PAp... Empty Talks so far!
Nothing is delivered except talks, there is still an Over-due result on Ministerial Pay Reduction! Are we awaiting for X'mas Loong?
Is Gerald Ee on X'mas holidays already? Is he cutting too much of your salaries & your cronies? So you refused to announce it? :D
ISA is history in Najib's Malaysia & you still have Mas Selamat & his family members under lock & key? Do you know that the Norwaygen is not even charging the 77 live shooter for murder? What did MSK do? Next to NOTHING except embarrassing your LEEgime!
Sammyboy.Com Post URL
Norwaygen Killer News
Nothing is delivered except talks, there is still an Over-due result on Ministerial Pay Reduction! Are we awaiting for X'mas Loong?
Is Gerald Ee on X'mas holidays already? Is he cutting too much of your salaries & your cronies? So you refused to announce it? :D
ISA is history in Najib's Malaysia & you still have Mas Selamat & his family members under lock & key? Do you know that the Norwaygen is not even charging the 77 live shooter for murder? What did MSK do? Next to NOTHING except embarrassing your LEEgime!
Sammyboy.Com Post URL
posted by uncleyap at 8:48 AM
