Can jeans be used as a weapon, asks Latheefa

Security officials prevent NGO reps from entering lobby to find out status of petition on Sedition Act because they were wearing jeans.

KUALA LUMPUR: A minor fracas broke out this morning when representatives of Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH) , a coalition of NGOs against the Sedition Act, were denied entry into the Parliament lobby because they were not formally dressed.

The situation became tense when Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) co-founder Latheefa Koya was engaged in a war of words with Parliament security officials over the rationale of the dress code for the public when they were not even entering the gallery.

“I understand that the dress code is for the Members of Parliament, but these are regular folk who are not even going inside the Dewan.”

“If it is a matter of security, how can a pair of jeans be used as a weapon?” she asked.

Eventually, upon instruction by a senior security officer, the crowd of around 30 was allowed inside the lobby.

Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng also questioned the “ridiculous” move to restrict access to the rakyat based on their attire as average people could not afford suits to enter an institution that represented the people.

Meanwhile, Eric Poulsen of LFL said, “..the Malaysian Parliament has to be the world’s unfriendliest Parliament,” and called for a reform on the dress code for the public.

Earlier, GHAH held a demonstration outside Parliament in Padang Merbok, before marching to the lobby to find out if the petition against the Sedition Act filed through Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad would be debated in the Dewan.

However, the Speaker denied the motion on the grounds that the details of the 3,005 signatories were incomplete and petitions that were usually tabled were on matters that was overlooked by the government.

Khalid told reporters that the Speaker had accused him of seeking publicity.

“I’m not seeking publicity for myself, but the people’s opinion of the colonial era law, that is the Sedition Act 1948,” he said.