Women's march organiser slams cops for probe against rally

 

The organising committee of the Women's March Malaysia 2023 has strongly condemned the police probe against those involved in the peaceful rally.

“We recall and remind this government of its long history of democratic actions and expressions, and the use of public assembly and protests over the last several decades prior to it coming to power.

“And we are disheartened and disappointed at being penalised for exercising our democratic rights to fight for a better Malaysia,” the organiser said in a statement today.

The statement was in response to Dang Wangi police chief ACP Noor Dellhan Yahaya saying earlier that the organiser will be called for questioning over the march that took place outside the Sogo shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

“Investigations revealed that about 150 participants, comprising NGO members, women’s rights activists, undergraduates and politicians, attended the march while holding placards which read ‘Imagine if men are disgusted with rape as with periods, Child not bride, Transwomen are women, Police your behaviour not my body’, and others," the top cop said in a statement.

According to Noor Dellhan further, the police are probing the matter under Section 9 (5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 as well as Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955.

The former pertains to the organiser’s failure to give a 10-day notice before a gathering, while the latter stipulates that any sort of insulting behaviour – be it in terms of using insulting or indecent words, language, or gestures – which is administered with the intention of disturbing the peace or provoking someone else, is regarded as an offence against the law.

The police have summoned seven people, comprising participants, speakers, organisers, and observers of the march, for questioning at the Dang Wangi police headquarters at 2.30pm today.

Confirming this, the organiser said the summoning marks a troubling precedent against democratic action under the newly-elected government.

‘I for Ihsan’

The organiser reminded Putrajaya that the “I” in the government’s “Malaysia Madani” slogan stood for Ihsan (kindness), which states that everyone, especially the minorities, must be treated with empathy and kindness.

“Our demands are meant to highlight to the government nine areas that must be addressed immediately to ensure that the basic rights of everyone, including oppressed genders, are no longer trampled upon in Malaysia.

“Article 10 of the Federal Constitution clearly states that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression and all citizens have the right to assemble peacefully and without arms. The organisers of Women’s March 2023 took all the necessary steps to inform relevant authorities and follow the rules and regulations in place before the march,” said the organiser.

Any police action against those involved in the march will reflect on Malaysia badly as its participation as a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is up for a review this year, the statement further noted.

The organiser then called on the police to cease their probe against the march and channel the resources towards investigating more pressing issues, such as child marriages, online and physical gender-based violence, and to protect the marginalised groups instead.

In addition, the Peaceful Assembly Act should also be reviewed in order to eliminate discrimination and hindrance to the freedom of association and peaceful assembly, the statement called.

“If that is the vision for a new and improved Malaysia, why are the authorities going against the very principle of what the Malaysian government claims it stands for?

“We urge the government to protect our rights as Malaysians, our rights as humans, and our rights in this democratic nation.” - Mkini