Apply for permit before holding rallies, KL mayor says

Rally organisers should apply for a permit from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) prior to the event to prevent disruption to public order, Bernama reported.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said upon submitting an application for a rally, DBKL would consider the request, based on the conditions of the event, date and venue of the assembly as not to violate the law.

"The (rally) organiser should cooperate with the police in monitoring and controlling the situation to prevent incidents that could threaten public security or destroy public property during the rally," he was quoted as saying in Kuala Lumpur today.

He told Bernama that illegal gatherings could lead to chaos and disrupt traffic flow in the city, especially during weekends.

Commenting on the #KitaLawan rally, he said: "If there are thousands of participants, 50 to 60 vehicles belonging to the participants will be parked illegally and this will definitely cause traffic congestion."

According to the #KitaLawan secretariat, it has decided that a rally in front of the Sogo shopping complex be held every Saturday at 4pm, even if the police detained the participants.

The rally is organised in support of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after he was convicted of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The news agency reported that DBKL was forced to control the situation and take action against those who were party to any form of provocation.

Protesters under the #KitaLawan banner took to the streets yesterday, in defiance of police warnings that the anti-government rally is illegal, and despite the arrest of opposition leaders and activists over the last two days.

The arrests have been slammed as a move to quell dissent and curb freedom of expression. – March 29, 2015.