The police and the home ministry have been urged to review their protocols for handling rallies, following affirmation by the prime minister that peaceful assemblies can continue to be held in front of Parliament, with attention given to security and traffic arrangements.
Human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) called for a proportionate response by the authorities, such as through negotiated traffic diversions or staggered access to the scene.
“Such an approach would complement the government’s stated efforts to amend the Peaceful Assembly Act,” said Suaram executive director Azura Nasron.
Azura said recent public assemblies had faced restrictions. She said traffic disruption was a normal consequence of gatherings near political institutions and did not justify blanket bans that blocked…