KUALA LUMPUR, July 12- The report from the government-appointed independent advisory panel on the Bersih 3.0 rally could be used as a guideline to improve the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the panel had been professional in carrying out the investigation and the ministry was satisfied with the report of the panel headed by former inspector-general of police Tun Hanif Omar.
However, he said, he had to submit the report to the cabinet to decide whether it could be used as a public document.
“Therefore, the ministry will discuss with the police to determine the exact gazetted locations to hold rallies, and not at any other places,” he told reporters after visiting the new Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market in Pusat Bandar Utara Selayang, near here, today.
Ahmad Zahid was earlier asked whether the report would be made public.
Yesterday, the independent advisory panel which investigated the Bersih 3.0 rally, handed over its final report to Ahmad Zahid. The 500-page report contains some advice and recommendations to the government in the interest of the nation and people.
The panel was formed on May 30 last year to probe allegations of police brutality during the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally.
The panel heard testimonies from 45 witnesses and viewed more than 72 hours of video clips from the police, Internet and witnesses.
In another development, Ahmad Zahid said 90 per cent of the serious crime were committed by ex-prisoners who were detained at the Simpang Renggam detention centre, Johor under the Emergency Ordinance (EO).
He said he would present the statistics and research findings at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting in September to prove that the EO was still necessary in this country.
Commenting on the statement by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Ahmad Zahid said:-
“I don’t wish to offend anyone but I have stated several times in the Dewan Rakyat that there were some provisions under the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which overlap the powers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Federal Constitution and other laws.”
Therefore, he said, two ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Paul Low and Nancy Shukri, would be enhancing the enforcement part to enable the mechanism to be fair to the police.
Lim yesterday described Ahmad Zahid’s purported rejection of the proposed IPCMC as illogical.
– BERNAMA
