KUALA LUMPUR: Street protests and rallies will no longer be a criminal offence if the amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) are passed.
The amendment Bill was tabled for the first reading today by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman. With the amendments, a lawful public assembly would include a march from one location to another.
The Bill is expected to be debated during the current Parliament session, which began today and ends on July 18.
The amendments are to Sections 3, 4 and 21 of the PAA. It will also reduce the mandatory notice period to authorities from 10 days to seven.
Under the proposed amendments, organisers of peaceful assemblies or street protests need only notify the police officer in charge of a district (OCPD) seven days before the event as opposed to the current 10-day notification period under Section 9(1).
The OCPD must also notify interested persons who object to a peaceful assembly or protest 24 hours prior to the event as opposed to the current 48-hour notification.
Organisers will also have 24 hours to appeal to the Home Minister against restrictions imposed by the OCPD on their proposed protest.
The PAA was passed by Dewan Rakyat under the former administration in November 2011 and came into force in April the following year.