Three activists from the Sekretariat Solidariti Rakyat (SSR) were fined RM2,000 each over a flash mob held at Dataran Merdeka yesterday.
The three SSR members – Mohammad Abdullah Alshatri, Mohd Asraf Sharafi Mohd Azhar, and Muhammad Nur Taufiq Azhar – were earlier summoned to Dang Wangi district police headquarters and questioned for over three hours under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
When contacted, Mohammad said SSR is still deciding on whether to challenge the RM2,000 compound in court.
The compound was issued for breach of Regulation 10 of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations (Measures within Infected Local Areas) (National Recovery Plan) 2021, which prohibits demonstrations.
"We also feel that the issuance of the compound immediately after we recorded our statements showed a double standard between ordinary citizens and politicians or VVIPs where an investigation would be carried out beforehand.
"We will fully cooperate with the police but there shouldn't be a different set of procedures between the people and the leaders.
"SSR will announce our next move soon," said the senior coordinator at rights group Suaram.
In condemning the compound, Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy in a statement said every Malaysian has the right to freedom of expression and to organise or participate in a peaceful assembly even during times of a pandemic.
Sevan said an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases despite the state of emergency and a full lockdown has clearly demonstrated the government's failure in combating the pandemic strategically.
"Furthermore, the government has escalated its actions in intimidating and harassing human rights defenders or individuals for speaking critically against the government, especially under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 or the Fake News Ordinance.
"It is under such political context that the SSR organised a flash mob at Dataran Merdeka on July 17," he said in solidarity with the activists and SSR's demands.
SSR in its statement made three demands, namely for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to resign, for a full Parliament session to be held with room for debates, and for automatic moratoriums to be extended to everyone.
The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) also declared support for SSR's three demands and echoed concerns over the apparent double standard in issuing them with compounds in less than 24 hours.
Muda cited several reported standard operating procedure (SOP) breaches by politicians including ministers and menteri besar, and how investigations could be carried out for weeks before any further action.
"If they want to punish for SOP breach, it must be fair and just, not different strokes for the ordinary people and ministers," it said in a statement.
Fourteen black flags were waved in the breeze and effigies of five "dead bodies" wrapped in white shrouds were laid out at Dataran Merdeka as part of SSR's flash mob yesterday that lasted for about 40 minutes with police presence.
The group said the effigies represented the increasing death toll from Covid-19, as well as suicide cases.
The 14 black flags, meanwhile, represented "the people's anger" in all states and territories as shown by the use of hashtags such as #lawan and #KerajaanGagal on social media.
Police in a statement later said they had identified the three individuals to be summoned from around 20 participants present. - Mkini
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