Lawyers prepare to march against new assembly law

Hundreds of lawyers and lawmakers gathered at Lake Gardens ahead of the midday march. — Picture by Clara Chooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Even as the country's highest legislative body readies itself to debate the newly-proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill, hundreds of lawyers and lawmakers have begun gathering nearby for the Bar Council's "Walk for Freedom", a march to protest a law it says is unconstitutional.

Loosening their ties and shedding their lawyers' robes, the group left the air-conditioned comfort of the courtrooms to assemble at the iconic Lake Gardens some 100m from the august House in hopes of pressuring the administration into withdrawing the Bill.

Traffic outside Parliament has slowed to a crawl as motorists decelerate to observe the cluster of professionals gather. At the gates, a small group of police officers are keeping a close watch.

The Bar Council's "Walk for Freedom" is to protest the Peaceful Assembly Bill which it says is unconstitutional. — Picture by Clara Chooi

Addressing the crowd before the march, said to be scheduled for 12.30pm, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee explained that many provisions in the contentious Bill would only further restrict individual freedom.

He told the lawyers' group that draft copies of the council's alternative proposal to the law have already been distributed to parliamentarians inside the House.

"I have also spoken to two MCA YBs and the president of the Barisan Nasional's Backbencher's Club (BNBBC).

"Our opinions differ but it is our hope that our MPs will not vote on the Bill according to party lines," he said, to resounding applause.

In an open letter yesterday, the lawyer had also urged lawmakers on both sides of the political divide to reject the prime minister's proposed law which Lim has described as an "unjust law made in haste ... which will impose unreasonable and disproportionate fetters on freedom of assembly".

In an explanatory statement attached to its alternative bill, the Bar Council said the government approached the right of peaceful assembly from a very limited and restrictive viewpoint that is not in line with international norms, nor current developments around the world on basic rights to which Malaysians aspire.

One of the major initiatives introduced by the Bar Council in its alternative five-part proposal is the creation of an independent 25-member Peaceful Assembly Board and an appeal panel.

Read More @ Malaysian Insider



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