KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — The planned five-day picket called Kepung Demi Palestin entered its third night this evening, as it waits for the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to finalise its permit to occupy a part of the Jalan Tun Razak roadside.

Speaking to Malay Mail, Federal Territories Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa confirmed that the city hall is currently processing the permit after the event’s spokesman Chua Tian Chang called for help from his PKR partymate.

"I met Tian Chua yesterday regarding this issue and DBKL has already received the application.

"They are currently processing it,” she briefly said via text message.

Yesterday, Chua who was formerly PKR vice-president, expressed surprise that such a permit was needed and had called on Dr Zaliha to speak with DBKL over the matter.

During its first night on Wednesday early morning, DBKL officers had directed the protestors to dismantle their tents at around 3am resulting in them sleeping in the open air.

However, the tents went back up yesterday morning and DBKL officers had mostly kept their distance and were just monitoring the participants.

They had however issued official notices pasted on the tents, stating the picketers' alleged offence of disturbing public areas by setting up tents and causing difficulties for pedestrians.

As of today, six tents have been erected under the pedestrian bridge between The Icon and Menara Tan & Tan, several metres away from the event's intended spot in front of the United States Embassy.

On Tuesday night, around 200 protestors gathered at the Lembaga Tabung Haji headquarters at 10pm before marching towards the embassy along with Palestinian flags and placards condemning Israel’s retaliation against Hamas in Gaza.

The police have since confirmed they have opened an investigation paper against the event under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for organising an event without a permit.

However, Wangsa Maju District Police chief Supt Ashari Abu Samah said the police have called nobody from the organisers and he conceded that participants have obeyed police instructions and are not blocking the road in the area.

Over 60 civil society groups and wings of political parties from across the divide are backing the picket, which means "siege for Palestine” in Malay.

Planned until New Year’s Eve, the event is demanding four things: The end to the arbitrary killings of Palestinians; an immediate, permanent and unconditional truce; addressing the immediate needs of civilians in Gaza for both aid and protection; and the recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign state.