THE POLICE have opened an investigation paper on the rally organised by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) held at the entrance of the Parliament complex this morning.
Dang Wangi District Police Chief ACP Noor Dellhan Yahaya was reported by Bernama as saying that the organisers of the demonstration will be called up for questioning in the near future to help in the gathering of evidence.
He explained that the organisers had not submitted advance notice as required by the law to the police.
"The investigation will be conducted under section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA)," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Section 9(1) stipulates: “An organiser shall, ten days before the date of an assembly, notify the Officer in Charge of the Police District in which the assembly is to be held.”
Earlier today, about a hundred people had gathered at the National Monument for the protest gathering, before they marched a few hundred metres away to the Parliament complex.
The rally was held to demand full institutional reforms by the government.
Bernama reported that participants began gathering there as early as 7.30am under watchful monitoring by the police.
A few Pakatan Harapan (PH) parliamentarians, including Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (MP for Ledang), William Leong Jee Keen (Selayang), Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (Sungai Petani) and Hassan Abdul Karim (Pasir Gudang) came out to receive a memorandum of demands from the organisers, which was duly handed over to them.
Also seen emerging from the Dewan Rakyat, which was in session, was Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of Muda who also received a copy of the memorandum.
The rally was promoted with the social media hashtag #Reformasi100Peratus.
Among the demands aired were issues related to the Protection of Whistleblowers Act 2010 and the term limit for the prime minister.
Others included those related to the Official Secrets Act 1972; abolition of the Sedition Act 1948; and for a moratorium on discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in corruption cases.
The police had on Sunday advised members of the public not to participate in the event, claiming that it did not comply with the PAA.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid had stated that the police had not received any notification regarding the organising of the public gathering as required under the act.
Bersih representatives submitted the notice at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters yesterday. – The Vibes, February 27, 2024
