KUALA LUMPUR – The Dang Wangi district police have firmly denied any involvement in the disruption of a reading and discussion event held at Dataran Merdeka on Friday.
The response from the authorities came after an event, known as Diskusi dan Buku Jalanan—an open and informal gathering promoting reading and dialogue—was disrupted by individuals believed to be enforcement officers from both the police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
The event was organised by Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia (LMM) in collaboration with the Federation of Malaysian Youth.
According to the organisers, in posts shared on X and Instagram yesterday, approximately eight to ten officers—three in DBKL uniforms and others in plain clothes—approached them during the event.
It is also understood that an officer, allegedly from the Dang Wangi district police, questioned whether the organisers had submitted a formal notification to the district police chief prior to holding the gathering.
This led participants to question whether formal approval is now required for peaceful community activities held in public spaces.
The organisers were also reportedly instructed by the enforcement personnel to disperse from the location by 10 p.m.
Speaking to Scoop, Dang Wangi police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said he did not recognise any of the individuals portrayed as police enforcers in the viral social media posts.
Sulizmie added that the alleged officers could have been individuals from the special branch or other divisions.
“We patrol Dataran Merdeka and surrounding areas every night, but our officers are always in uniform. In this case, we were not involved and did not disrupt the reading and discussion event.
“Perhaps those individuals were from the Special Branch or another division—we are not sure. On our end, we would only take action if there were reports lodged, and to be fair, none were received on that day.
“At the same time, there is no need for us to disrupt such events, as there is no law prohibiting people from meeting friends and reading books in public spaces. It was not a large-scale gathering that violated any regulations.
“We will investigate this matter and cross-check with the Special Branch and other divisions based on what has been seen on social media to determine whether any enforcement officers were deployed to the area on Friday,” Sulizmie said when contacted.
Meanwhile, Hamdin Nordin, an activist with the Federation of Malaysian Youth, described the incident as an act of “intimidation” against a peaceful, educational gathering.
Hamdin also urged the authorities to align themselves with the principles of the MADANI government, which has been actively promoting reading and the expansion of public knowledge.
It was reported that the MADANI government recently allocated RM1 million under the 2025 Semarak Membaca Book Voucher campaign to cultivate and strengthen a culture of reading among the public.
“The presence of a large number of enforcement officers, and their unfriendly manner, sends a worrying signal about the treatment of intellectual activities in public spaces.
“Public spaces should be safe and open to all, especially for activities that promote education and discourse. Reading and discussing in public should not be treated as a violation of the law.
“This incident highlights the need to reassess how the authorities perceive their role in relation to civil society, and the importance of protecting public spaces as platforms for free expression and learning.
“The government has been advocating for a democratic society, but I don’t understand why the authorities are not cooperating with that vision. I just hope and pray that this situation changes one day,” said Hamdin.
The Federation of Malaysian Youth remains committed to continuing the Diskusi dan Buku Jalanan programme and has called on more young people and members of the public to participate in similar community reading initiatives.
The non-governmental organisation is expected to carry on with the Diskusi dan Buku Jalanan series in the coming weeks. - May 12, 2025
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