Police powerless under PAA to stop Zahid DNAA rally, lawyers say
Lawyers for Liberty says the Peaceful Assembly Act only requires organisers to inform the police of the planned gathering.
LFL director Zaid Malek said the remark by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain showed that the police were either ignorant or misconstruing the law.
"The requirement states that the police must only be notified of the assembly. Subsequent to the receipt of the notice, the police may then impose restrictions and conditions on the rally, but there is no power for them under the act to outright deny anyone the right to assemble," he said.
Lawyers group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today hit out at the police's statement that the application for the "Save Malaysia" demonstration in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow had been rejected, saying there is no such requirement under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA).
LFL director Zaid Malek said the remark by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain showed that the police were either ignorant or misconstruing the law.
"The requirement states that the police must only be notified of the assembly. Subsequent to the receipt of the notice, the police may then impose restrictions and conditions on the rally, but there is no power for them under the act to outright deny anyone the right to assemble," he said.
