This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 5, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat has passed amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 that loosen the regulation of peaceful street protests.

Home Affairs Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, after delivering his winding-up speech for the amendments’ second reading yesterday, proposed to further shorten the notice period for organisers planning peaceful protests to inform the police to five days, from the original proposal of seven days.

Prior to this, organisers of peaceful protests were required to give 10 days’ notice to the police.

These amendments were all passed without objection from the opposition.

Earlier, during the debate on the Bill, Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) challenged the government to abolish the Peaceful Assembly Act, in order to fully liberalise peaceful assemblies.

“Since it is New Malaysia, abolish the entire Act! Why do you still need seven days’ notice ahead of the assembly?” he asked.

Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya) urged the government to shorten the notice period to the police to just 24 hours instead of seven days.

The amendments were tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday to make protesting in public no longer an offence.

“Due to the change of the government’s policy, it is of the view that the right to assemble peaceably and without arms may include the right to organise or participate in a street protest so long as the street protest does not pose any threat to or affect the security of the Federation or public order,” the amendment bill’s explanatory note reads.

“The street protest must also be held in a manner that takes into account the protection of the rights and freedom of other persons. In the event that a street protest causes any nuisance, or involves any act of violence or commission of any criminal offence, such act may be dealt with under other existing laws such as the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code,” it reads.

The amendment bill originally sought to shorten the notification period for an assembly from 10 days to seven days before the date of the assembly, to further facilitate the holding of peaceful assemblies.