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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Putrajaya agrees to amend assembly Bill


UPDATED @ 03:14:14 PM 26-11-2011
November 26, 2011

KUALA KANGSAR, Nov 26 — Putrajaya has agreed to amend seven sections in the Peaceful Assembly Bill, following nationwide protests criticising it as more repressive than current laws.

According to Star Online, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz confirmed during a function here that Cabinet had reached the decision at its meeting yesterday.

Nazri said the Cabinet decided to amend the Bill following protests.

Among others, he said, the provision requiring 30 days’ advance notice to the authorities before holding an assembly will be changed to 10 days.

The provision has been criticised by civil society groups and opposition lawmakers as restrictive, particularly after Myanmar, a country known for its poor human rights record, passed a similar law earlier this week stipulating that only five days’ notice is required to hold a protest.

The Peaceful Assembly Bill was mooted by the Najib administration as part of its Malaysia Day promises to allow greater democracy and civil liberties.

But when the Bill was tabled on Tuesday, civil society groups and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers raised a furore, saying it was more restrictive than present laws as it not only completely outlaws street protests but also stipulates that a 30-day advance notice must be given to the authorities before any assembly could proceed.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang told the government to send Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to Myanmar to learn about fundamental liberties, saying it was “mortifying and shameful” that Malaysia had to learn from a country known for its poor human rights record.

Defending the law before tabling it for the second reading on Thursday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak dismissed criticisms and described the Bill as “revolutionary” and a giant leap towards improving individual freedom.

Civil society groups nationwide, including the Bersih 2.0 coalition and its international chaper Global Bersih, are staging worldwide gatherings today to protest the Bill and pressure Putrajaya into withdrawing it.

Parliament is scheduled to debate the Bill on Tuesday.

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