The Malaysian Bar - Debate over Bill peaceful

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Debate over Bill peaceful

Monday, 12 December 2011 08:20am

©The Star (Used by permission)
by REGINA LEE

KUALA LUMPUR: When Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang was invited to a debate with Bar Council's enfant terrible Edmund Bon, little did he know that close to 300 people would turn up at a cramped shoplot on the fourth floor to hear him speak.

No one could blame Tan, who had been let down several times after challenges of debate with different parties fell through.

But this time, the debate did take place and the showdown on the Peaceful Assembly Bill was at the Pusat Rakyat Loyar Burok yesterday with the majority of the audience mobilised via Twitter and Facebook.

The crowd was from the surrounding urban areas and their “claws” were out for Tan, who has been tweeting actively about his pro-establishment views for the past year.

Despite the seemingly emotional questions from the floor, Tan managed to keep his cool next to Bon, who has been on the forefront of many recent big trials involving human rights.

Moderated by Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs chief executive officer Wan Saiful Wan Jan, their arguments were the same as what they had been espousing since the Bill's tabling in Dewan Rakyat last month.

Bon argued that the Bill banned freedom to assemble by imposing restrictions as well as the time needed to notify the police.

However, Tan said the Bill was an improvement in leaps and bounds for civil liberties in Malaysia as no permit was needed when people wanted to assemble at designated places.

But far from calling the Bill “perfect”, he said there should be a wider variety and range of designated places to protest when processions bring great risk to human lives, public order and businesses.

With the debate going on for close to two hours, both sides agreed that there was no such thing as absolute freedom in any democracy.

“There should be some restrictions,” said Bon, adding that the Bar Council's alternative Bill provided for an appeals panel to vet applications to assemble.

Keeping things light, Tan gulped down a 1Malaysia brand chocolate malt drink as he had taken a bet with PJ Utara MP Tony Pua on Twitter that Pua would donate RM1,000 to charity if he drank it.

In his closing summary which had everyone in stitches, he made an offer to Bon: “I hope Edmund joins Barisan Nasional.”

While there was no winner declared, what was visible was the goodwill and laughter during the entire debate.

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