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KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- The Bar Council today said the suggestion to deploy the armed forces to maintain public order, particularly in relation to assemblies, to be abandoned.

Its president, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said the threat of such deployment was intimidating to members of the public who had shown the desired maturity and responsibility in the conduct of such assemblies.

"The public had in fact understood that this government was moving towards loosening the grip on assemblies.

"The threat of the use of the army is wholly inconsistent with this and any process of democratisation that we are aiming for.

"Recent events in the course of the week have also created much disquiet. We call on the Prime Minister to address this disquiet," she said in a statement here.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan on Wednesday announced that the armed forces would be called in to assist police in maintaining public order if the security situation of the country warranted it.

"The Bar Council also notes that there has never been any necessity to take such measures in the past. On two recent occasions, in fact, assemblies were conducted peaceably and without incident," she said.

"We need to know that we live in a Malaysia that upholds fundamental freedoms and respects the Rule of Law.

"We need to know that our enforcement agencies are there to protect the public and not to instill fear in them, and that their officers will have the courage to carry our their duties without fear or favour," she added.

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