[Joint Statement] Let the People Be Heard: Police Must Facilitate, Not Block, Access to Parliament

SUARAM
Jul 22
5 min read

*The Malay translation of this statement is available below, following the English version.

Sekretariat Himpun and the undersigned organisations condemn the obstruction by the police against peaceful protesters outside Parliament today as they submitted memoranda on the amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act and the repeal of the Sedition Act. The right to peaceful assembly is enshrined under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. Obstruction and disproportionate police response—especially when protesters are seeking to deliver human rights-centred legal reforms to the Members of Parliament (MPs) undermine democratic freedoms and public trust in state institutions.

This morning, protesters were met with a heavy police presence consisting of over 60 officers, including members of the Light Strike Force (LSF). A human barricade was set up less than a hundred metres from the Parliament gates, preventing participants from proceeding any further. Despite the peaceful nature of the assembly and the protesters’ clear intent to submit memoranda, police refused to permit passage. No clear explanation was provided other than Parliament was a “prohibited area”.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, peaceful assemblies were permitted to take place past the Parliament gates to submit memoranda. Since then, access has been arbitrarily curtailed, with protestors confined to the public road outside Parliament grounds, undermining the democratic function of assemblies.

As asserted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly, protests include the right to demonstrate “within sight and sound” of the intended audience. This is a key democratic function of protest - bringing public demands directly to those in power.

Further, authorities have a duty to facilitate these assemblies at the designated location. In this instance, the police not only failed to facilitate the event but also made the space unavailable for organisers and participants due to a heavy police presence. As a result of the obstruction, MPs and/or their representatives had to leave the Parliament compound to receive the memoranda directly.

Even where restrictions are in place, they must be weighed against Malaysia’s constitutional guarantees and internationally recognised principles of necessity and proportionality. Blanket prohibitions on presence in Parliament fall short of these standards and send the wrong message—that public input must remain at the margins rather than at the heart of decision-making.

The sheer scale and posture of the police presence, including the deployment of the LSF—reflected a presumption that protest is inherently disruptive rather than democratic. This is especially troubling given the absence of any threat to public order. The intimidating display of force can chill civic engagement and erode confidence in the police as facilitators of the constitutional right of Malaysians to peacefully assemble, frustrating those who seek to peacefully protest.

Notably as well, negotiations were ongoing between organisers and the police just behind the barricade when a female protester—part of the negotiation team—was pushed by a female officer, reportedly following vague instructions from a male commanding officer.

Sekretariat Himpun unequivocally affirms and defends the right to peacefully assemble to demand justice and reform. No one should face any form of intimidation or obstruction for exercising their constitutional rights.

We call for:

The immediate reinstatement of meaningful public access to Parliament, including clear, reasonable protocols for assemblies to approach Parliament for memorandum handovers in line with international human rights standards;
Commitment by the Home Ministry to ensure that upcoming amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act include a comprehensive review of all sections that impose restrictions on assemblies in line with international human rights standards;
Improved police training that focuses on managing peaceful assemblies in a facilitative, rights-based approach, and emphasises restraint in the deployment and use of force.

Endorsed by:

1. Mandiri

2. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

3. Bersih

4. Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)

5. Federasi Pemuda Kebangsaan

6. Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia

7. Mahasiswa Demokratik Malaysia

8. Gerakan Perempuan Melawan

9. Justice For Sisters

10. Amnesty International Malaysia

11. Center To Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4 Center)

12. Pro-Siswa Kolej Komuniti Malaysia

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suara Rakyat Wajib Didengari: Polis Harus Memudahkan, Bukan Menghalang,

Akses Ke Parlimen

Sekretariat Himpun bersama organisasi yang menandatangani kenyataan ini mengecam sekeras-kerasnya tindakan pihak polis yang menghalang peserta protes aman di luar Parlimen hari ini semasa penyerahan memorandum berkaitan pindaan Akta Perhimpunan Aman dan pemansuhan Akta Hasutan. Hak berhimpun secara aman dijamin di bawah Perkara 10 Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Tindakan menghalang dan tindak balas polis yang tidak seimbang—lebih-lebih lagi apabila peserta protes membawa tuntutan reformasi undang-undang berteraskan hak asasi manusia kepada Ahli Parlimen—telah mencabul kebebasan demokratik dan menghakis kepercayaan awam terhadap institusi negara.

Pada pagi ini, peserta protes telah dihalang oleh kehadiran lebih 60 anggota polis, termasuk Pasukan Light Strike Force (LSF). Satu barisan manusia (human chain) dibentuk kurang 100 meter dari pintu pagar Parlimen, menghalang peserta daripada mara lebih jauh. Walaupun perhimpunan berlangsung secara aman dan tujuan peserta jelas untuk menyerahkan memorandum, pihak polis tetap enggan memberi laluan. Tiada penjelasan munasabah diberikan selain dakwaan bahawa Parlimen ialah “kawasan larangan”.

Sebelum pandemik COVID-19, perhimpunan aman dibenarkan melepasi pintu pagar Parlimen untuk penyerahan memorandum. Namun sejak itu, akses telah dihadkan secara sewenang-wenangnya, dan peserta protes kini hanya dibenarkan berkumpul di jalan awam di luar kawasan Parlimen, sekali gus menjejaskan fungsi demokratik perhimpunan awam.

Seperti ditegaskan oleh Pelapor Khas PBB mengenai Kebebasan Berhimpun, hak untuk memprotes merangkumi hak untuk berada “dalam jarak penglihatan dan pendengaran” kepada audiens yang disasarkan. Inilah fungsi demokratik utama protes—menyampaikan tuntutan rakyat terus kepada pemegang kuasa.

Pihak berkuasa mempunyai tanggungjawab untuk memudahkan perhimpunan di lokasi yang relevan. Namun dalam kes ini, bukan sahaja polis gagal memudahkan, malah kehadiran mereka yang berlebihan telah menghalang ruang buat penganjur dan peserta. Akibat halangan ini, Ahli Parlimen dan/atau wakil mereka terpaksa keluar dari kawasan Parlimen untuk menerima memorandum secara langsung.

Sekalipun ada sekatan, ia mesti seimbang dengan jaminan Perlembagaan Malaysia serta prinsip keperluan dan keseksamaan yang diiktiraf di peringkat antarabangsa. Larangan menyeluruh ke atas kehadiran di Parlimen bukan sahaja gagal memenuhi piawaian ini, malah menghantar mesej yang salah—bahawa suara rakyat hanya layak di pinggiran dan tidak di pusat pembuatan dasar.

Skala dan sikap kehadiran polis, termasuk penugasan LSF, jelas berpunca daripada andaian bahawa protes adalah ancaman, bukannya proses demokratik. Ini sangat membimbangkan kerana tiada sebarang ancaman terhadap ketenteraman awam wujud. Tindakan mempamerkan kekuatan sedemikian berupaya menakut-nakutkan masyarakat, sekaligus menghakis keyakinan rakyat terhadap peranan polis sebagai pemudah hak perlembagaan untuk berhimpun secara aman, dan mengecewakan mereka yang ingin bersuara secara beradab.

Lebih membimbangkan, ketika rundingan masih berlangsung antara penganjur dan polis di sebalik halangan, seorang peserta wanita—ahli pasukan rundingan—telah ditolak oleh anggota polis wanita, dipercayai atas arahan samar seorang pegawai lelaki. Sekretariat Himpun menegaskan dan mempertahankan hak berhimpun secara aman untuk menuntut keadilan dan reformasi. Tiada sesiapa wajar diugut atau dihalang hanya kerana melaksanakan hak perlembagaan mereka.

Kami menuntut:

Pemulihan segera akses rakyat ke Parlimen, termasuk protokol jelas dan munasabah bagi membolehkan penyerahan memorandum kepada Parlimen oleh peserta perhimpunan, selaras standard hak asasi manusia antarabangsa;
Komitmen Kementerian Dalam Negeri agar sebarang pindaan Akta Perhimpunan Aman akan melalui semakan menyeluruh ke atas mana-mana seksyen yang menghadkan hak berhimpun supaya selaras dengan piawaian hak asasi manusia antarabangsa;
Penambahbaikan latihan polis agar tumpuan diberi kepada pengurusan perhimpunan secara fasilitatif dan berasaskan hak asasi manusia, serta penekanan terhadap kawalan diri dalam penggunaan kuasa.

Disokong oleh: