Crime doesn't reduce but Our police busy quizzing GMI

Crime doesn't reduce but Our police busy quizzing GMI over candlelight vigil

Police quiz GMI over candlelight vigil (Malaysiakini)

Police have sought more information about the candlelight vigil that the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI by its Malay acronym) plans to hold in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
GMI president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said he was called to the Dang Wangi police station at noon today, to give details in relation to the lobby-group's application for a police permit.

He said the questions were about the expected number of participants and whether or not banners would be put up during the event.

“We told the police that between 100 and 200 people would attend the event, but it will also be open to the general public,” he said.

Asked if the permit is likely to be issued, he said: “We will just go with the flow, but we stand firm on the fact that it is our right to peaceful assembly.”

The candlelight vigil will be held at Dataran Merdeka to show solidarity for those being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial for up to two years at a time.

Family-members of ISA detainees as well as civil society groups against the ISA are among those expected to attend the event, more details of which will be revealed tomorrow.

The vigil was originally planned to be held last Saturday but was cancelled at the last minute. Police blocked all access to the venue on Dec 22 and issued a stern warning not to participate in the vigil as it would be deemed an illegal assembly.

GMI then called off the vigil and applied for a police permit last week.

The police have came down hard on recent rallies in Kuala Lumpur, using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Roadblocks were mounted around the city to prevent protesters from reaching designated assembly points.