IPCMC march to proceed without police approval

Organisers of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) march will proceed with their programme despite not receiving permission from the authorities.

One of the organisers, S Arutchelvan, said they had submitted an assembly notice on March 26 to the Sentul and Dang Wangi district police headquarters, more than the 10 required days before the planned march on April 8.

The plan is to march to Parliament from Padang Merbok to hand over a memorandum demanding the formation of an IPCMC.

Arutchelvan, who is a central committee member of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, said the organisers had not submitted any letter to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) because they did not feel a need to do so.

"We think we don't have to (give to the DBKL), we think the police interpreted Padang Merbok as being under DBKL's ownership.

"We do not see it as such, we see it (Padang Merbok) as a public space.

"When we gave the letter, they (the police) did not tell us and we did not ask for DBKL's permission either as there is no need because the event (to hand over the memorandum) is at the Parliament," he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Dang Wangi district police headquarters today said the organisers did not fulfil a requirement under the PAA to seek approval to hold the march from DBKL, whom they said is the owner of the land.

Arutchelvan explained that Padang Merbok is simply the meeting point for the participants of the march before they march to Parliament, as their vehicles are not allowed into the Parliament compound.

He said the police should have told them about this matter at least five days before the date of the march and not at the last minute.

The organisers, he said, will ensure that the public will not be disturbed while the march is taking place.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director Phil Robertson urged police to "cease violating rights of people giving notification of protests". 

In a tweet today, he stated that the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 does not require permission for assemblies to proceed. 

The calls to form an IPCMC resurfaced after a Suhakam inquiry concluded that the Special Branch (SB) of the police force was responsible for the disappearances of pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat. - Mkini