A PEACEFUL protest was held this afternoon to protest against the rising cost of living, despite the police blocking the group of a few hundred from marching towards Dataran Merdeka.
According to news reports, protesters comprising mostly university students clad in black, convened outside the SOGO shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur at 2pm, after which organisers gave speeches for half an hour.
Speakers included student activists and student union members, youth politicians from PKR and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) and at least one opposition MP, Kapar representative Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid.
Free Malaysia Today (FMT) put the crowd at around 500, while Malaysiakini and The Vibes were more conservative, estimating about only a hundred individuals.
The group’s plan to head towards Dataran Merdeka after the speeches, however, was cut short after the police formed a human barricade along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, effectively blocking anyone from passing.
The police also blocked vehicles from entering Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in anticipation of today’s protest, which it branded as “illegal”.
According to FMT, activists and protesters attempted to negotiate with the authorities to continue their march to Dataran Merdeka but failed.
However, the police allowed the gathering to continue for another 15 minutes, Malaysiakini reported, where more speeches were made.
Shortly after 3pm, protestors began dispersing. No arrests or scuffles were reported.
Today’s protest, organised by a group calling itself the TURUN movement, was held to demand five things from the Government.
They want ministers’ pay to be cut, Government subsidies to be continued, decent assistance to the people delivered, prices of goods to be controlled and food security addressed.
Yesterday (July 22), the police advised the public against attending the protest, adding that they were not notified about the protest in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
However, the organisers pushed forward with the protest anyway, given the constitutional right to peacefully assemble. – July 23, 2022
