DAP chairman Gobind Singh Deo has called on the Attorney-General’s Chambers to reform the legislation which allows for peaceful assembly.
Gobind urged Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to support the spirit of reforms by amending Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, rather than reviewing the Federal Court's decision.
The highest court in the land had earlier ruled in favour of the applicant, former Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) secretary - general Amir Hariri Abdul Hadi, that he was wrongly charged for illegal assembly.
"I call upon Mohd Dusuki to seriously reconsider the application filed by the government to review the Federal Court’s decision in the case of Amir Hariri."
The court found that the charge was unconstitutional.
In the landmark ruling last year, the Federal Court addressed several critical issues and declared Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) unconstitutional, said Gobind in a statement.
The Digital Minister said that the court found that Section 9(5) of the Act violated Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees fundamental liberties, namely the freedoms of speech, association, and peaceful assembly in the country.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) has raised concerns regarding the move by the chambers and called for reforms of the legislation governing peaceful assembly.
Following the Federal Court’s ruling, the Madani national government has proactively taken steps to suggest improvements to the Act, said Gobind.
The suggested amendments extend beyond Section 9(5), addressing other parts of the Act which have raised concerns as well.
These efforts form an integral part of the PH ongoing reform agenda, of which DAP is an integral part of the ruling coalition.
Earlier yesterday, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng had also questioned a decision by the prosecution, urging the government to clarify why a rape charge was reduced to a lesser offence without the knowledge of the survivor. – January 16, 2026
