YOURSAY 'Let us speak up. We will protest and seek justice and our rights. We will continue to do that. It is our right.'
Hisham shoots down calls to withdraw Assembly Bill
Gerard Samuel Vijayan: The name of the Peaceful Assembly Bill ought to be changed to the Public Assembly Act or Right to Public Assembly Act.
The police must only be allowed to impose reasonable conditions proportionate to any objection, threat or public security and public order concerns.
The organisers must have the right to seek judicial review of the police decision and appeal to the home minister if refused. Foreigners ought to be allowed to take part.
The 30-day notice period must be reduced to seven days, the penalties reduced to RM1,000 and RM2,000 respectively for breaches, the media and monitors must be given full access, street protests ought to be allowed on designated roads and highways on selected dates and times.
The exclusion zone of 50 metres from designated places must be waived in cities and towns as it is not practicable.
The bill as its stands is not acceptable, since it imposes restrictions that are not reasonable or proportionate to the right to freedom of assembly as guaranteed in the constitution.
Swipenter : History has shown us repeatedly without fail no matter how harsh and restrictive laws are when the tipping point is reached, the people would rise and revolt against the government.
The Arab Spring is one recent example. It just took one young man pushed to the brink, who resorted to protest against his highly corrupt and repressive government and the hopelessness of his situation by immolating himself in public.
His act did more than just setting himself on fire. It ignited the Arab Spring, and the Arab world would never be the same again.
The clamour for justice, freedom and equal opportunity is still being played out there. The Umno-BN regime has not, and still is not, listening to the voices of the rakyat demanding for free and fair election, end to corruption, equal and fair treatment, equal opportunity, justice and a transparent and accountable government.
Survivor: Hisham, let's be truthful about it. If the people asked you to withdraw the proposed bill and you are unwilling, then that speaks volume.
Overhaul it to make it what the rakyat desires or withdraw it altogether. When TDM (Mahathir Mohamad) accepted it outright, it is a very clear indication we are back in the era of Mahathirism.
Dr Suresh Kumar: Hishammuddin, your responsibility was to uphold the law, not to change or modify the law, other than in ways that were capable of commanding community support.
Freedom of assembly is one of the fundamental rights of civil society. Depriving society of such rights can have serious implications, in addition to taking the country back a few steps.
You are dealing with a contemporary society today, therefore stop belittling their intelligence.
Anonymous_3e06: You think Umno cares? Yes, they care, but only about themselves. They want to continue to rule the country. They will scream out to others and say, ‘We are bumiputeras. We own the land, the soil and everything else!'
Well, we belong to this land too, so let us speak up. We will protest and seek justice and our rights. We will continue to do that. It is our right.
Wira: As far as we can see, most human rights NGOs are against the bill and regard it as being worse than the existing Penal Code.
The minister should withdraw it for the time being so that a public dialogue can be held if the intention of the Peaceful Assembly Bill is noble.
KSD: This bill is clearly designed to prevent anything resembling the Arab Spring uprisings from happening here.
This ploy may have worked at a time when the people of Malaysia were afraid. But as can be seen at events like Bersih 2.0, citizens of all races and backgrounds are no longer afraid to stand up and be counted.
The current government can pass all the laws it wants, the people will make sure we bring in a government that will listen to us in the next general election.
Loyal Malaysian: Bersih coordinator S Ambiga has informed the rakyat that the Peaceful Assembly Bill is actually unconstitutional, that it is actually taking away more of our civil rights.
So, are we going to stand idly by and allow these unscrupulous Umnoputras take us for a ride?
JBGUY: Clearly the new Peaceful Assembly Act has elicited unfavourable comments, not only from the opposition parties but also NGOs.
I speak for the man in the street, and I, too, view this Act with trepidation, because it does not in any way liberalise nor give more rights to the rakyat.
It is repressive, and the home minister should listen to the demands for its withdrawal and not dismiss these calls as politicking.
Magic Mountain: There is no need to pass it into law. At the moment, even without the law, the police are already blugeoning the rakyat into submission, such as happened during the Bersih rally - firing tear gas and hurting so many during that peaceful walk.
Do they need a licence to do that?
JusticeKini: This is a classic case of jumping from the frying pan to the fire. It looks like Pakatan Rakyat can scream until the cows come home, BN will just bulldoze the bill through Parliament.
To the voters in the kampongs, putting food on the table is more important than ‘democratic rights'. Pakatan needs to work harder because the bulk of BN support is from the kampongs, Sabah and Sarawak.
Disbeliever: I'm sure they are going to push through this Peaceful Assembly Bill as they have all the BN MPs - the stooges who would just go along - agreeing to it.
It is obvious that this bill is of utmost importance to BN as it is the only way for Najib Razak and Co to prevent the opposition from making grounds to 'topple' BN in the general elections.
Now that the police will be given almost absolute powers to decide on what is allowed and what isn't, it is like giving a dangerous weapon to them and say, "Go, do what you want with it."
Somehow, there must be a legitimate and legal way to stop this bill from going through.
Lim Chong Leong: It's up to you, Hisham. You do it your way and we will have to do it our way. Tyrant.' - Malaysiakini
Hisham shoots down calls to withdraw Assembly Bill
Gerard Samuel Vijayan: The name of the Peaceful Assembly Bill ought to be changed to the Public Assembly Act or Right to Public Assembly Act.The police must only be allowed to impose reasonable conditions proportionate to any objection, threat or public security and public order concerns.
The organisers must have the right to seek judicial review of the police decision and appeal to the home minister if refused. Foreigners ought to be allowed to take part.
The 30-day notice period must be reduced to seven days, the penalties reduced to RM1,000 and RM2,000 respectively for breaches, the media and monitors must be given full access, street protests ought to be allowed on designated roads and highways on selected dates and times.
The exclusion zone of 50 metres from designated places must be waived in cities and towns as it is not practicable.
The bill as its stands is not acceptable, since it imposes restrictions that are not reasonable or proportionate to the right to freedom of assembly as guaranteed in the constitution.
Swipenter : History has shown us repeatedly without fail no matter how harsh and restrictive laws are when the tipping point is reached, the people would rise and revolt against the government.
The Arab Spring is one recent example. It just took one young man pushed to the brink, who resorted to protest against his highly corrupt and repressive government and the hopelessness of his situation by immolating himself in public.
His act did more than just setting himself on fire. It ignited the Arab Spring, and the Arab world would never be the same again.
The clamour for justice, freedom and equal opportunity is still being played out there. The Umno-BN regime has not, and still is not, listening to the voices of the rakyat demanding for free and fair election, end to corruption, equal and fair treatment, equal opportunity, justice and a transparent and accountable government.
Survivor: Hisham, let's be truthful about it. If the people asked you to withdraw the proposed bill and you are unwilling, then that speaks volume.
Overhaul it to make it what the rakyat desires or withdraw it altogether. When TDM (Mahathir Mohamad) accepted it outright, it is a very clear indication we are back in the era of Mahathirism.
Dr Suresh Kumar: Hishammuddin, your responsibility was to uphold the law, not to change or modify the law, other than in ways that were capable of commanding community support.
Freedom of assembly is one of the fundamental rights of civil society. Depriving society of such rights can have serious implications, in addition to taking the country back a few steps.
You are dealing with a contemporary society today, therefore stop belittling their intelligence.
Anonymous_3e06: You think Umno cares? Yes, they care, but only about themselves. They want to continue to rule the country. They will scream out to others and say, ‘We are bumiputeras. We own the land, the soil and everything else!'
Well, we belong to this land too, so let us speak up. We will protest and seek justice and our rights. We will continue to do that. It is our right.
Wira: As far as we can see, most human rights NGOs are against the bill and regard it as being worse than the existing Penal Code.
The minister should withdraw it for the time being so that a public dialogue can be held if the intention of the Peaceful Assembly Bill is noble.
KSD: This bill is clearly designed to prevent anything resembling the Arab Spring uprisings from happening here.
This ploy may have worked at a time when the people of Malaysia were afraid. But as can be seen at events like Bersih 2.0, citizens of all races and backgrounds are no longer afraid to stand up and be counted.
The current government can pass all the laws it wants, the people will make sure we bring in a government that will listen to us in the next general election.
Loyal Malaysian: Bersih coordinator S Ambiga has informed the rakyat that the Peaceful Assembly Bill is actually unconstitutional, that it is actually taking away more of our civil rights.
So, are we going to stand idly by and allow these unscrupulous Umnoputras take us for a ride?
JBGUY: Clearly the new Peaceful Assembly Act has elicited unfavourable comments, not only from the opposition parties but also NGOs.
I speak for the man in the street, and I, too, view this Act with trepidation, because it does not in any way liberalise nor give more rights to the rakyat.
It is repressive, and the home minister should listen to the demands for its withdrawal and not dismiss these calls as politicking.
Magic Mountain: There is no need to pass it into law. At the moment, even without the law, the police are already blugeoning the rakyat into submission, such as happened during the Bersih rally - firing tear gas and hurting so many during that peaceful walk.
Do they need a licence to do that?
JusticeKini: This is a classic case of jumping from the frying pan to the fire. It looks like Pakatan Rakyat can scream until the cows come home, BN will just bulldoze the bill through Parliament.
To the voters in the kampongs, putting food on the table is more important than ‘democratic rights'. Pakatan needs to work harder because the bulk of BN support is from the kampongs, Sabah and Sarawak.
Disbeliever: I'm sure they are going to push through this Peaceful Assembly Bill as they have all the BN MPs - the stooges who would just go along - agreeing to it.
It is obvious that this bill is of utmost importance to BN as it is the only way for Najib Razak and Co to prevent the opposition from making grounds to 'topple' BN in the general elections.
Now that the police will be given almost absolute powers to decide on what is allowed and what isn't, it is like giving a dangerous weapon to them and say, "Go, do what you want with it."
Somehow, there must be a legitimate and legal way to stop this bill from going through.
Lim Chong Leong: It's up to you, Hisham. You do it your way and we will have to do it our way. Tyrant.' - Malaysiakini
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