Janji Demokrasi gathering is definitely on

The organisers have decided to ignore a police warning that the gathering would be considered illegal.

PETALING JAYA: The Janji Demokrasi gathering on the eve of Merdeka Day will go on despite a police declaration that it would be illegal.

Gabungan Janji, the group organising the event, reiterated today that the gathering was being planned as a celebration of Independence Day, “not a demonstration, not a protest, and not a rally”.

“Gabungan Janji” translates as “Coalition of Promises” and “Janji Demokrasi” as “Promise of Democracy”.

Yesterday, referring to a statement by Gabungan Janji representative Maria Chin Abdullah, Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Zainuddin Ahmad denied that he had been vague about allowing or disallowing the gathering to go on.

Several hours before that, there was a meeting between Dang Wangi police and Gabungan Janji and another group—the Preservation of Jalan Sultan Committee, which is planning a march in the city, also on the eve of Merdeka Day.

Chin told a press conference afterwards that the meeting went well, adding that Zainuddin did not specifically say police was against the Janji Demokrasi gathering at Dataran Merdeka.

She maintained that position today. She told FMT that police briefed the two groups about the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) and told them to maintain order during their events. Police “did not say yes or no” to the gatherings, she added.

In the FMT interview yesterday, Zainuddin said Chin had given reporters the wrong impression that police were agreeable to the Dataran Merdeka gathering. He said he had made clear during the meeting that Janji Demokrasi would be in violation of Section 9 (1) of the PAA, which requires any group planning a gathering to notify police 10 days before the event.

“Since that was not done, it is illegal under the law, and I did not allow it,” he said. “But if they say they’ll go ahead anyway, which I advised against, then I may have to take action based on public safety and order.”

Chin confirmed today that Zainuddin did mention Section 9. “He did talk about it, but not at the beginning of the meeting. I would still say it was a friendly meeting and that there was no clear answer.”

She called on the authorities to consider Janji Demokrasi as “part of the countdown” to the Merdeka Day anniversary.

“Every year there is a countdown at Dataran Merdeka,” she said. “Are they saying every year people must have approvals? I mean, is Zainuddin saying that everyone who appears at Dataran Merdeka must have that approval?

“I’m going there just like any other citizen.”

Self-imposed conditions

About the PAA, she said: “We disagree with it, but that doesn’t mean we’d violate it on purpose.

“We’ve already put in so many conditions for ourselves. There is no elaborate programme except for Pak Samad (national laureate A Samad Said) reading a poem. That’s about it. This is a very low-key event. Are the police saying we can’t even wear yellow and celebrate Merdeka and be part of a national event?”

Yellow is the colour associated with Bersih, the group pressuring for free and fair elections and which has been a thorn in the side of the government. Chin is a member of its steering committee.

Bersih issued a statement today saying it supported Janji Demokrasi but was not involved in organising it.

The statement also asked Zainuddin to clarify what he meant yesterday when he told FMT that Janji Demokrasi was “obviously promoting Bersih”, which “has done all sorts of things”.

“We believe this comment is intentionally vague,” said the Bersih statement. “Given Zainuddin’s position and seniority, his comments must be more responsible and further clarification from him is imperative. In fact it is best that he appear before the ongoing Suhakam public inquiry into the events of Bersih 3.0 and give testimony under oath.

“It is hoped that the ACP’s obvious bias and prejudice against the Bersih 2.0 movement will not result in an unnecessary curtailing of the rights of ordinary citizens to gather peacefully in a public place open to all.”

Janji Demokrasi is organised by close to 50 non-governmental organisations. The gathering will be held between 10pm and 12am.

Although the main gathering will be held at the iconic Dataran Merdeka, there will be simultaneous gatherings in other states, including Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor. The organisers have disallowed banners, placards, and sound systems, but have urged participants to wear yellow.