KUALA LUMPUR: Casual and small-scale group activities do not constitute an assembly under the law and, therefore, do not require a five-day notice to police, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
In a written parliamentary reply, Saifuddin said that determining whether an activity is an “assembly” depends on its purpose, scale, location, and public impact.
He said Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act applies only to activities that meet the definition of “assembly” under Section 3 of the same Act.
“An activity may fall within the meaning of an ‘assembly’ if it fulfils the elements of being organised, open to public participation, and involving a significant number of participants in a public area,” Saifuddin said in a written reply.
“In addition, it must have an impact on public safety, traffic, or the rights of other public users, and contain symbolic messages, statements of stance, or implied elements of protest against an issue.”
Saifuddin was responding to a question from William Leong (PH-Selayang) on the definition of assemblies that require notice under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, and whether an activity such as a group of students reading books in public would fall within that definition.
Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act stipulates that an organiser of an assembly must give five days’ notice to the relevant district police chief.
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