Consult us before amending the Peaceful Assembly Act, say civil society groups
He said this was to ensure the regulations reflect and protect the public's rights.
Ragunath said the involvement of such groups would help strengthen the provisions and ensure they align with international best practices.
"The government should make it a point to consult us so the regulations are not only stronger but also more reflective of people's rights.
"Our input would come from a broad range of perspectives, based on their experiences and observations.
"They would have also considered the best practices elsewhere," he told the New Straits Times today.
Ragunath said among the groups the government should engage with were Suhakam, the Bar Council and other civil society organisations, noting that such engagement would also help build public trust in the review process.
He said the review should not only focus on technical or procedural amendments, but also key changes that could strengthen democratic freedoms.
"This includes decriminalising street protests, shortening the notice period for assemblies, and removing the requirement for organisers to get permission from venue owners when a gathering is held in a recognised public space like Dataran Merdeka," he said.
Asia Human Rights Labour Advocates director Phil Robertson said Putrajaya would share the draft of their proposed amendments and work closely and transparently with civil society groups at every stage of the process, including each revision of the amendments.
He said the goal should be to build civil society support that champions the final amendments passed in Parliament.
"The government needs to move decisively away from its preferred method of having government lawyers draft amendments behind closed doors while shutting out external proposals and commentary.
"This law involves people's rights, so changes must involve the people at every step," Robertson said.
He said the guidelines for revising the law should be based on the requirements of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
"It must also take into account comments and clarifications made by the Human Rights committee, which is the expert body that interprets the convention."
He added that the Act must create the presumption in law that peaceful assemblies are worthwhile and should be encouraged, recognising that freedom of expression and peaceful assemblies are the cornerstones of a functioning, participatory democracy.
"The government needs to stop fearing people's voices and demands, and understand that protests often highlight problems that need to be fixed, not covered up," Robertson said.
.
They were commenting on Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail's statement that the government was reviewing the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 following the Federal Court's ruling last month that a key provision of the law is unconstitutional.
The Federal Court struck out the provision criminalising failure to give police 5 days notice before holding an assembly, stating that it contravened the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
Former Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 imposed a penalty that exceeded what is allowed under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech, assembly, and association.
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