Please return our Parliament


PROHAM is disturbed by yesterday’s events, which will forever be ingrained in the minds of Malaysians as a dark day for Malaysian democracy. 

We witnessed 107 lawfully elected MPs being denied entry to Parliament by FRUs beating their shields. This act, which amounts to intimidation to deny these MPs their right of entry to Parliament, a right they so gained by the will of the rakyat, is a grossly disproportionate and excessive act of policing. 

Proham is saddened that this gross violation of the sanctity of the MPs’ duties to the rakyat was sanctioned by the government.

It is evident, all the more so today, that while the world has been battling a pandemic, Malaysians are fighting an altogether different battle. On January 12, 2021, Malaysia utilised the powers of emergency primarily to suspend Parliament, and since then, we have seen the continued chipping away of our parliamentary democracy. 

Proham calls on the government of the day to stop robbing the rakyat of the right to have our voices heard in Parliament. Voices that have been unheeded and unheard have resulted in a slew of online and offline protests, a clear warning sign that the government needs to stop closing the space for peaceful expression or demonstration.

Proham would like to remind the government of the recommendations made by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and the 2005 report of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police, in which peaceful expressions must be allowed when all the legitimate avenues are closed for democracy in the interest of the nation.

Proham urges the government to return the rakyat our voices in Parliament and to honour the parliamentary democracy of our nation. – August 3, 2021.

* Proham is an independent organisation for the promotion of human rights. 



Sign up or sign in here to comment.


Comments