PETALING JAYA: Two opposition Members of Parliament (MP) were among 25 people who were charged with illegal assembly under the Peaceful Assembly Act in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court yesterday over a protest against the goods and services tax (GST) on Monday.

The lawmakers are Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s (PSM) Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, the MP for Sungai Siput, and Kuala Krai MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli from PAS.

All 25 were accused of ignoring a police order to disperse at a sit-in demonstration outside the Customs Department office in Kelana Jaya.

Each of them was released on bail of RM3,000 in one surety and must return to court on May 14 for a hearing.

The charge under Section 21(1)(d) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 states the circumstances under which the police have the power to order protesters to disperse.

Muhammad Zaki Sukeroi, one of the lawyers acting for those charged, said they could each be fined up to RM20,000 under Section 21(3) of the Act.

The 25 charged were among 29 remanded for a further two days on Tuesday after being arrested at the sit-in and at a candlelight vigil for the detained protesters held outside the Kelana Jaya police station on the same night.

The anti-GST protest on Monday was organised by PSM and Gabungan Bantah GST, a coalition of activists opposed to the consumption tax.

The goal of the sit-in was to get the Customs Department to answer some 100 questions on the GST which will be implemented on April 1. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 26, 2015.