Last chance to kill assembly bill

The Senate will most likely pass the law next week, but KillTheBill.org warns that nationwide protests may make it unenforceable.

PETALING JAYA: KillTheBill.org recognises that it may be grasping at straws in trying to snuff out the Peaceful Assembly Bill (PAB), but it has warned the government that the likely passage of the law in the Senate next week might trigger a nationwide civil disobedience campaign.

The group will return to KLCC this Saturday afternoon to continue with its Freedom to Assemble Campaign. It will be its fourth consecutive Saturday gathering at the same venue.

KillTheBill is one of the many civic organisations that have been protesting against the proposed legislation even after the Dewan Rakyat passed it on Nov 29. They say it is repressive and violates the constitutional guarantee of the right to assemble.

In a media statement today, KillTheBill said this Saturday’s gathering would be the last chance for Malaysians to prevent the PAB from becoming law, unless PAS succeeds in its bid for a judicial review.

Once the Senate passes a bill, it becomes law after a month even if the King refuses to endorse it.
“However,” KillTheBill said, “the federal government must recognise the fact that even if passed, the PAB will not be enforceable if it triggers a civil disobedience campaign nationwide.”

The group also said the arrest of 15 student activists who staged a demonstration at KL Sentral yesterday had “miserably failed to suppress public wrath”.

The students were expressing their support of calls for academic freedom. They said there would be another gathering for the same cause at Dataran Merdeka, also this Saturday.

KillTheBill said this weekend’s assembly at KLCC would be called “Malaysians can Picnic in Yellow at KLCC Park without Police Permit” and would be a tribute to good food and togetherness.

“We believe Malaysians’ appreciation for getting together and for good food need not be confined to home and limited to family,” it said. “As a free nation, we should be free to picnic with friends or even strangers in a park without a police permit.

“But if the PAB becomes law, we will have to inform the police 10 days ahead or be fined up to RM 10,000. And if parents bring children to join this picnic, they may be fined up to RM20,000.”
The group has urged participants to wear yellow or carry yellow balloons, flowers or national flags but not placards or banners.

Participants will be invited to answer the thematic question “Why Am I Here?” in written prose, verse, music, painting or photography.

According to the group, last week’s event—“Malaysians Can Go Shopping and Pose with Christmas Trees without Police Permit”—attracted 100 people, who spent a total of RM2,439.50 in KLCC.

“We hope the KLCC management will not stop us from having a picnic in the park this time,” the statement said. “Otherwise, we will see that as an unspoken invitation for a photo session in front of Christmas trees and flooding the restaurants or food court with yellow.”

KillTheBill will also be collecting signatures for a memorandum to be submitted to the Senate on Monday.