KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian government plans to ease restrictions on peaceful rallies, following backlash over investigations into protesters at a recent anti-corruption rally in Kuala Lumpur.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Feb 13 that the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 will be amended to remove Section 11, which requires rally organizers to obtain permission from venue owners before holding demonstrations. A moratorium on this section will be enforced immediately, meaning rallies will no longer need venue owners’ approval, but organizers must notify the police five days in advance for security and traffic control.
The amendment is set to be tabled in Parliament between June 23 and July 31, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The move follows a Jan 25 anti-corruption rally where protesters criticized alleged lenient treatment of high-profile figures such as Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi and former Prime Minister Najib Razak, both implicated in graft scandals. Authorities investigated student organizers of the rally for violating Section 11, but Anwar has now ordered an end to these probes.
The Peaceful Assembly Act, enacted under Najib’s administration, has long been seen as a tool to suppress dissent, particularly during Bersih electoral reform protests. Anwar and Pakatan Harapan leaders, once active in street protests, are now pushing to relax restrictions on public assemblies.