Responding to the announcement by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) will be amended to facilitate and support groups who wish to organise peaceful assemblies, Amnesty International Malaysia’s freedom of expression campaigner Kiran Kaur said:
“Freedom of peaceful assembly is the cornerstone of any healthy society. For far too long, Malaysians have been harassed, intimidated and criminalised simply for exercising this fundamental right.
“The government must take accountability for the harm inflicted by the PAA and act decisively to ensure meaningful reform that truly protects civic space,” she said.
“This amendment is long overdue. A culture of fear has stifled public dissent in Malaysia for years. The police must facilitate – not obstruct – peaceful assemblies, and the law must protect all peaceful gatherings, organised or spontaneous, ensuring that no one is punished simply for voicing their concerns in public,” she added.
“We urge the government to engage meaningfully with civil society to ensure that reforms align with international human rights standards, and that the right to peaceful assembly is fully protected. Pending the review, we call on the government to ensure no one else is arrested, investigated, charged or imprisoned under the PAA,” Kiran said.
Background
On 13 February, Prime Minister Anwar said in Parliament that the government has agreed to amend the PAA. He said the amendments scheduled for the next parliamentary session, among others, would remove Section 11 of the act, which involves the requirement for the consent of the owners of assembly locations.
Anwar also said that a moratorium has been imposed, effective immediately, that would halt all ongoing investigations under Section 11 of the act.
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Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told media that his ministry will prepare a cabinet memorandum following the government’s decision to amend the PAA. – Amnesty Malaysia
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