THE Bar Council said street demonstrations are part of the country’s quest for independence.
Its president Lim Chee Wee said Umno founder Datuk Onn Jaafar had led a 15,000-strong procession in 1946 to protest the British plan to form the Malayan Union.
This sparked a series of demonstrations that eventually derailed the idea of forming the union.
“Processions or assembly in motion, which are defined as street protest in this Bill, are deeply associated Malaysian history,” said Lim.
Eight members of the council accompanied him to hand over an open letter and its draft version of the Bill to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
A copy was handed to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Liew said he would have a look at the letter and revert to the council at a later date.
Meanwhile, constitutional law expert Prof Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi agreed that the ban on street protests should be reviewed and international norms be adopted.
Citing an example, he said: “In Britain, no notice is required for static assemblies. However, a 14-day notice must be given to the police for processions in motion.
“The police will then go to the local authorities and decide the best move, whether there should be re-routing or a total ban.”
On a positive note, not requiring police permits to hold rallies was a step forward, he added.
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Talk on Summary Judgement (25 May 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, this talk will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). The talk will be conducted by Ramesh Supramanian. Click on the link above for more details.
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4th LAWASIA Family Law Conference, Penang (13 and 14 July 2012) Supported by Penang Bar Committee and the Malaysian Bar, this conference, themed “The New Global Family: Emerging Trends and Challenges to Family Practice”, will take place at Traders Hotel, Penang, on 13 and 14 July 2012 (Friday and Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
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