Human rights advocate groups Article 19 and CIVICUS have released a joint statement expressing concern about the treatment of peaceful protestors across Malaysia. There are reports that the police are using harassment as a method to quell these demonstrations.
This statement comes in the wake of numerous protests in the region, incorporating farmers raising their voices against land eviction policies, a ‘Save Malaysia’ protest in response to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s discharge from corruption charges and peaceful marches on occasions such as International Women’s Rights Day and Labour Day.
Both Article 19 and CIVICUS have highlighted how legislation appears to be manipulated by the police to infringe upon protestors’ rights of assembly and free speech. In the aftermath of a protest on September 12, several members of the Malaysian Socialist Party were questioned by the police, who cited section 186 of the Penal Code. This pertains to ‘obstructing civil servants from performing their duties’. Additionally, the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 has been utilized as the basis for interrogations of protestors.
Amnesty International’s 2022 report on Malaysia indicated that, ‘Authorities used repressive laws to restrict freedom of expression. Peaceful protests were prevented and protest organizers prosecuted.’ In 2022, a number of peaceful protests were halted by the police, including a gathering of lawyers who were protesting against governmental interference within the legal system.
In a recent gathering, it was reported that police asked for proof of protest permits, notwithstanding that this is not actually a legal requirement in Malaysia. CIVICUS Asia Pacific Researcher, Josef Benedict, referred to these as ‘scare tactics’
“There is no basis for the police to haul up peaceful protesters for questioning. This is a clear form of harassment and creates a chilling effect for those who want to organise protests. Furthermore, the police must stop insisting on protestors having their permission to hold a protest, when all that is really needed is a notification.”
In conclusion, the joint statement brought to attention the pending review of Malaysia’s human rights record by the UN Human Rights Council in 2024. However, after its last review, Amnesty International highlighted the fact that Malaysia rejected 120 recommendations that could have substantially improved the human rights situation.
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