Dr M Voices Support For Peaceful Assembly Bill

JITRA (Kedah, Malaysia), Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday voiced support for the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. The former prime minister said the new act was important to ensure that public assemblies would be free from violence or actions that could cause losses to others. "The act has good intentions...besides preventing certain quarters from taking advantage of a situation, so that violence does not become a problem to the country," he said when asked to comment on the bill, which will become an act if passed and gazetted. The bill tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz on Tuesday, is a transformation of the existing legal framework relating to the rights of citizens to assemble peacefully, as provided in the Federal Constitution. Dr Mahathir who had earlir witnessed the signing of an agreement to manufacture -60°C Super Freezers between Dairei Asia Sdn Bhd and Zun Utara Industri Sdn Bhd in the Bandar Darulaman Industrial Area, said the government was responsible for protecting the rights of the public. He is chairman of Dairei Asia. Dairei Asia was represented by its two executive directors, Jiro Suzuki and Yoshiaki, and Zun Utara by its managing director Lim Hock Huat and director Johnny Lim at the signing. "While people have the right to hold demonstrations, the rights of others will have to be protected by the government," said Dr Mahathir. He said holding a demonstration close to Hari Raya festive celebration, for instance, would adversely affect the business of traders, with the small ones already struggling to make a living. On the suggestion by the Election Commission (EC) for the elections to be held simultaneously to save costs, Dr Mahathir said it was a sensible thing to do as conducting the elections separately would even be more costly for the government. On Tuesday, EC chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof said in Sungai Petani that he would be meeting leaders of the Pakatan grouping involving Parti Keadilan Rakyat, DAP and Pas which rule Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan to explain the proposed simultaneous parliamentary and state elections. On Nov 17, Selangor Chief Minister Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the State Legislative Assembly would not be dissolved next year even if the federal government dissolves Parliament and they (Pakatan) were only prepared to participate in the 13th General Election if it is held after June 2012. On Khalid's stand, Dr Mahathir said the opposition would never be satisfied if they did not cause problems to the government. -- BERNAMA Malaysia