Police: ‘Red Shirts’ memo delivery to Dr M ‘peaceful,’ not protest

© Provided by The Malay Mail Online Datuk Jamal Md Yunos holding a copy of the memorandum denouncing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his Citizens’ Declaration, outside the latter’s office in the Perdana Leadership Foundation, Putrajaya…KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — No action will be taken against Datuk Jamal Md Yunos and hundreds of his “Red Shirts” who gathered outside Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s office in Putrajaya yesterday as the event was not an illegal assembly, police have said.

Putrajaya deputy police chief Supt S Vijaya Rao said that those who took part in yesterday's event did not break any law as they only congregated briefly outside the Perdana Leadership Foundation to deliver a memorandum to Dr Mahathir.

“The thing is, when all the NGOs yesterday came together, it is not a protest, it is not an illegal gathering as they just wanted to pass a memorandum to Tun (Dr Mahathir).

“Things ran very smoothly, and it was peaceful, the people who handed the memorandum dispersed shortly after that,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Vijaya said there had also been no need for Jamal to notify the police about the event beforehand as it was not a public gathering, and therefore the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 did not apply to yesterday's event.

“No need for that (PAA) We monitored the event, and will continue to monitor matters, it was not a protest like Bersih (4), that one was a protest,” Vijaya explained, referring to last year's Bersih 4 rally which saw thousands of Malaysians take to the streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Section 9(1) of the PAA 2012 stipulates that notification must be given to authorities ten days ahead of any planned assembly, and non-compliance carries a maximum fine of RM10,000 under Section 9(5) of the same Act.

Yesterday, hundreds of “Mat Rempit” and “Red Shirts” congregated at Dr Mahathir’s office as part of Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal's bid to submit a memorandum in protest of his Citizens’ Declaration.

Staff at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, an anti-war organisation Dr Mahathir set up after he retired as prime minister, had to seal the entrance of the office while police personnel formed a human barricade behind the gates.

The memorandum was handed over to an official from the Perdana Peace Foundation under police watch and the crowd dispersed after.