Carolling blunder due to rushed assembly law, says Pakatan

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — The federal opposition has blamed confusion over whether Christmas carollers require police permits on the rushed Peaceful Assembly Bill, which outlaws street processions.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers said the controversial Bill was pushed through the Dewan Rakyat last month without getting enforcement authorities on the same page.

Nurul Izzah said the flawed Peaceful Assembly Bill has caused a lot of confusion with regulations affecting Christmas carolling. — File pic

“The sudden move to approve the flawed Peaceful Assembly Bill has caused a lot of confusion with regulations affecting Christmas carolling,” Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.

 

The PKR vice-president said this in response to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein saying yesterday that Christmas carollers will not need police permits despite reports since Friday that local police insist their permission is required.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong had also said no permit was needed despite it being a requirement for the past 30 years as freedom has been given for religious activities in the spirit of the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

However, both Johor and Klang police insisted that carollers must apply for permits before going ahead with their musical visits.

Police chief Tan Sri Ismail Omar stepped in last night saying no permit was needed but asked that organisers still obtain one to help “ensure public safety”.

“We are very flexible, but it will be good if they inform us. By informing us, we can control the processions to ensure public safety and control traffic,” the Inspector-General of Police said.
“Clearly (Hishammuddin) has a lot of work ahead of him to streamline his top brass and the police force to take action according to current needs.

“The police require a paradigm shift, and it begins with (Hishammuddin’s) readiness to admit his own weaknesses and move to improve them,” Nurul Izzah said.

Pua said Hishammuddin is completely clueless about what is happening in the police force.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua echoed Nurul’s sentiments, saying the blunder shows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “political transformation programme” is nothing but rhetoric and is not met by concrete changes on the ground.

“Hishammuddin’s claim that no permits are required only showed he’s completely clueless about what is happening in the police force. He has no control whatsoever over them.

“He’s desperately trying to control the fallout caused by the more restrictive permit policies from the police by making statements which directly contradicts that of the police,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said.

The Malaysian Insider reported on Friday that the police were asking Christians for more details than usual this year including the full names and contact details of homeowners whom they intended to visit this carolling season.

But both Hishammuddin and Pemandu minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala, who has been the government’s pointman on Christian matters, said on Saturday they were unsure until the home minister said no permit was needed the next morning.

The Malaysian Insider had reported that parish priests in Klang were alarmed to receive a memo from a district police officer this past week informing them of the requirement.

They were also asked to provide Bukit Aman and the National Security Council with the same information, said a concerned Rev Father Michael Chua, who told The Malaysian Insider he received the news from the parish priests of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Church of the Holy Redeemer earlier this week.

The police denied on Friday restricting the movement of carollers in Klang despite changing the permit application process.

Putrajaya pushed a law earlier this month that outlawed street protests and also demonstrations near houses of worship, schools and other public areas, leading to concerns that the carollers are being lumped under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011.