PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed in principle to amend the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA), says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister and government spokesperson said that the Cabinet had already decided to amend a provision in the PAA and may instruct the Attorney General's Chambers to drop its plan to seek a review of a landmark Federal Court ruling on the said provision.
He said the decision was made during the Cabinet meeting that took place on Wednesday (Jan 14).
Fahmi was referring to the case of former Muda secretary-general Amir Hariri Abd Hadi, who was acquitted in August last year of failing to give police sufficient notice of a rally organised in 2022.
“The Cabinet decided for this to be forwarded to the AGC to be deliberated,” he said.
“The AGC will follow up on this. Basically, the government agreed in principle to amend the PAA,” he added.
In February last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim PAA would be amended, and the government would remove the problematic Section 11, which had been an obstacle to protests as it required the consent of the owner or occupier of the place or assembly.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail later said the government enforced a moratorium on legal proceedings under Section 9(5) of the PAA as part of its agenda to reform the law.
Earlier this month, Amir said in a statement that the AGC submitted an application for review under Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995, which states that the top court may review past decisions to prevent any injustice or abuse of process.
Amir also said the AGC had requested that the prosecution against him under the PAA be revived.
Amir was acquitted in August after the apex court ruled unanimously in July last year that it was unconstitutional to criminalise the failure to give the police advance notice of the peaceful assembly in front of the Sogo shopping complex.
