[UPDATED] 11 called up over Undi18 rally freed, 8 quizzed by police

KUALA LUMPUR – Eleven people summoned to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters today over a peaceful Undi18 protest outside Parliament last weekend were released after about an hour. No arrests were made.

Muda secretary-general Amir Abdul Hadi told reporters outside the police station that the organisation is being investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2021 for failing to notify the authorities about the gathering.

“So, we are here to attend to the police investigation regarding this issue.”

He said not all 11 will be questioned by police today, with some to be quizzed on another date.

“We are going to give our fullest cooperation to police on the assembly that took place last Saturday,” he said just before their 2.30pm appointment with officers.

“We hope everything runs smoothly.”

He said those having their statements recorded today are present with their lawyers, and will address the media afterwards.

Several elected representatives were seen outside the police station in a show of solidarity, among them PKR’s Fahmi Fadzil and Maria Chin Abdullah, and DAP’s Howard Lee and Lim Yi Wei.

Those who had their statements recorded were Amir; Pakatan Harapan Youth chief Shazni Munir; PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang; Amanah communications director Khalid Abdul Samad; DAP Youth chief Howard Lee and the party’s Ketari rep Young Syefura Othman; and, Parti Sosialis Malaysia central committee member Sharan Raj and Youth committee member S.K. Arveent.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported that these individuals would be among the 11, as well as Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, lawyer and activist Ambiga Sreenevasan, and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh.

Yesterday, Dang Wangi district police chief Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the individuals involved in the protest will be called up.

He said the probe will be conducted under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, for failure to notify police before an assembly is held.

Police are also looking into whether there were violations of Regulation 11 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas) (Conditional MCO) (No. 4) Regulations 2021, which makes it an offence to conduct any activity with many people in attendance, such that it becomes difficult to ensure social distancing.

The rally saw some 200 people gathering outside Parliament to object to the delay in implementing the Undi18 bill, which lowers the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, that was approved by lawmakers in 2019.

It was originally slated for implementation in July, but the Election Commission last week announced the postponement to after September 1 next year.

The rally was organised by an ad hoc committee called Sekretariat Himpunan Tuntut Undi18, itself a loose coalition of more than 20 youth civil groups and opposition Youth wings.

The participants marched 3km from Padang Merbok to the gates of Parliament, and observed 18 minutes of silence, signifying the lowered voting age. – The Vibes, March 30, 2021