KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — Former Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin urged the government to refrain from taking legal action against yesterday’s Perikatan’s Nasional-led (PN) ‘Save Malaysia’ rally.
Hanipa, who is a lawyer by profession, recounted that he used to defend many Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders against the highly controversial Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA).
“As a former human rights lawyer, I used to defend some of our current ministers when the previous government, via the police and Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), used to arrest and charge them in court either under the now-defunct Section 27 of the Police Act or PAA.
“Even (Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change) Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad used to challenge the validity and constitutionality of some provisions in the PAA, though I was not his lawyer,” he was quoted saying by Malaysiakini.
Hanipa added that he, along with Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and two others, once challenged the constitutionality of the PAA when it was still a Bill.
“We filed a judicial review and asked the court, inter alia, to issue the declaratory relief and a writ of quo warranto (by what authority or warrant).
“It is public knowledge that I used to represent, for instance, Mohamad, in many cases involving offences of alleged illegal assembly,” he was reported saying.
Hanipa, who also used to be a deputy minister, said it would be disgraceful and shameful for the government to allow the police to continue using lack of permit as an excuse to ban peaceful assemblies.
On September 11, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay reportedly warned “stern action” against rally organisers and participants, at the time stating no “permit” applications were received.
In 2019, the government enacted the PAA which removed the necessity to obtain a police permit for a public gathering.
Instead, rally organisers only have to formally notify the police of an assembly five days in advance and submit permission from the owner of the gathering place.
After yesterday’s rally, it was reported that Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid made no mention of permits but said the organisers had failed to comply with the requirements under the PAA for a five-day notification, as with related conditions.
“It is not just about sending a letter (to the police), and that’s considered enough,” he was reported saying.
Yesterday, several groups including PN organised a “Save Malaysia” rally to protest the discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) granted to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the 47 charges in his Yayasan Akalbudi trial.
