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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Cops’ role in rallies confined to traffic control, says Suhakam

Datuk Khaw Lake Tee, the vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, speaks during the launch of its annual report in Kuala Lumpur today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, April 15, 2015.Datuk Khaw Lake Tee, the vice-chair of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, speaks during the launch of its annual report in Kuala Lumpur today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, April 15, 2015.
Police must understand that their role in public assemblies and rallies is limited to "traffic management and control" of crowds to facilitate such gatherings, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) said today.
Vice-chair Datuk Khaw Lake Tee said the Peaceful Assembly Act, which regulates the holding of demonstrations and protests, only required the organiser of a gathering to give notice of an assembly to the police for the purpose of managing traffic.
"We hope the police understands that no permission is required anymore under the Peaceful Assembly Act and for them to continue to play their role accordingly as envisaged under the act," she said today.
The recommendation on the peaceful assembly noted that the Act only required notice of an assembly for police who were to facilitate gatherings, and not curb them.
Recent rallies in the capital city have proceeded smoothly, such as those held by the #KitaLawan movement which has gathered on some Saturdays since early March to press for opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's release from prison where he is serving time for sodomy.
But police have arrested rally organisers and opposition politicians and activists, who participated in these rallies after they were held or ahead of such events.
Opposition members and critics of the government feel Putrajaya has been clamping down on free speech with these arrests to put fear in citizens.
Khaw said Malaysia had still not ratified other key human rights treaties.
She added that Suhakam regretted that Putrajaya did not accept the recommendations of the 2013 Universal Periodic Review process in relation to ratification of treaties, to reform national laws, and to abolish the death penalty.
Of the 232 recommendations given by member states, Malaysia accepted 150 and rejected 83.
"We are concerned that this will hinder the country from improving  its human rights record and stunt the country's growth to achieve developed nation status," she said.
Putrajaya also showed a lack of responsiveness to the rights of the indigenous people, especially in relation to their land rights, Khaw added.
She said that Suhakam was also disappointed that the government did not support the main six recommendations on indigenous people's rights.
"At the very least, the government could have said that they had set up a task force on the issue as opposed to not supporting the recommendation at all, which was premature on their part," she added.
According to Khaw, Suhakam had done a National Inquiry into the land rights of Orang Asal in Malaysia and a report was prepared in 2012. 
Following that, the government had set up a task force in August 2013 to study Suhakam's report.
She said that although they did not receive any information directly, they were made to understand that a report by the task force had been sent to a minister in December 2014.
"We are still yet to receive the report from the task force, but we hope to get it soon and also that our recommendations are accepted," she added.
Another issue highlighted in Suhakam's annual report is the National Human Rights Action Plan, where Khaw said that they had presented a position paper to Nancy Shukri, the minister in the prime minister's department in charge of human rights, saying that the five thrusts in the plan were too broad.
Putrajaya had outlined the five thrusts under civil and political rights, economic social and cultural rights, rights of vulnerable groups, rights of indigenous peoples and international obligations.
"We hope that the five thrusts can be more realistic, practical and achievable and we also hope the government will consult with stakeholders on the action plan at all stages of the development process," she said.
- TMI

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