Peaceful Assembly is undemocrat​ic

Media statement by Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP Life Advisor in Seremban on 30th November 2011

THE SO CALLED PEACEFUL bill VIOLATES ARTICLE 10 OF THE CONSTITUTI ON WHICH GUARANTEES FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY FOR ALL CITIZENS

THE PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY BILL WAS DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY. ALL OPPOSITION MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, INCLUDING ANWAR IBRAHIM, LIM KIT SIANG AND LIM GUAN ENG VOTED AGAINST THE BILL, BECAUSE IT IS A VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 10 OF THE CONSTITUTION WHICH GUARANTEES FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY FOR ALL CITIZENS

The new bill insists that permits must be applied for in all APPLICATIONS. MOST OF THE TIME, THESE WERE REJECTED ever so often, because the speeches of opposition leaders exposed the instances of corruption by the government.

The government does not want the people to know their faults and misdeeds.

They do not want the people to know that the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim in 2009 was prompted by the Prime Minister who feared that Anwar would defeat him in the coming general elections. The charge of sodomy was fabricated and Anwar was guaranteed to lose, leaving PM Najib an easy win in GE13

They want to hide the millions of ringgits by way of commission fees from the purchase of the Scorpion submarines when Najib was the Minister of Defence.

The billions of ringgits lost through corruption are the reason for the deficits at every budget for the past 10 years or more. Every year PETRONAS has to fork out billions to pay for 50% of the Budget.

The money lost through corruption belongs to the people. The money could have been used to build more schools and low cost houses for the people.

BERSEH protest assembly on July 9 was not allowed by the government, when Bersih demanded reforms to clean up the Election rolls because the government illegally registered thousands of foreign workers as citizens and as voters

REASON WHY THE GOVERNMENT INSIST THAT EVERY ASSEMBLY ORGANISED IS TO PUT BARRIERS FOR THE OPPOSITION TO GET PERMITS

For example, BERSEH wanted to hold an Assembly on July 9th for asks for electoral reforms, permission was not granted... applications by the Opposition were usually refused.

RIGHT OF CITIZENS TO HOLD RALLIES, AS GUARANTEED IN ARTICLE 10 OF THE CONSTITUTION.

The Dap urges citizens to reject the Bill as it is ultrqvires the Constitution, which guarantee the right to hold assemblies or rallies in accordance with Article 10 of the Constitution


Dr Chen Man Hin