Sabah demo activist charged for not ‘notifying’ cops

Jannie Lasimbang is the first activist to be charged for the Bersih 4 gatherings in Kota Kinabalu on August 29 and 30.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersih 2.0 announced in a statement, that its Sabah Chairperson Jannie Lasimbang was charged in the Magistrate’s Court in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday for not giving the police ten days notice, as required under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, for gatherings held in Kota Kinabalu recently.

Lasimbang is the first activist to be charged for the Bersih 4 gatherings in the Sabah capital on August 29 and 30. The gatherings were part of similar affairs in 70 cities worldwide including Kuala Lumpur and Kuching.

She was charged under section 9(5) of the Act, disclosed Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee Chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah. “We express our solidarity with Jannie and protest this charge which has been brought against her. We will continue to struggle for the right to demonstrate.”

Chin expects others to be charged as well following the recent declaration by the Court of Appeal that section 9(5) of the Act was not unconstitutional. The Court had also ruled in the case of Seri Setia assemblyman in Selangor Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad that the 10 days notice was not necessary and moreover was in conflict with human rights as enshrined in the Constitution, she pointed out.

Chin added that Jannie wasn’t the only one investigated by police in Sabah. “Other volunteers, speakers and sponsors were also hauled in as soon as the gatherings in Kota Kinabalu ended.”

“If they are just going to pick and choose who to charge, it’s selective prosecution and persecution and meant to intimidate others.”

Chin noted that Tourism Minister Nazri Aziz had been quoted as saying last night that the government allows demonstrations. “However, it appears that there’s no freedom after demonstrations.”