Police rejected march notices 4 times, says women’s group

Women’s March Malaysia holds marches every year to commemorate International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Women’s March Malaysia (WMMY) has criticised the police for rejecting without explanation four applications it sent to the authorities requesting permission to hold a march next week.

“The WMMY 2024 organising committee condemns the actions by the police to deny our notice for this year’s women’s march.

“The committee made four attempts yesterday and today to serve a notice of assembly to the police, which were all turned away,” it said in a statement.

WMMY holds marches every year to commemorate International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8, and advocate gender rights. This year’s march is slated for this Saturday, March 9, near the Sogo shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur.

The committee said it has done everything it can to inform the authorities of its desire to hold an event within the confines of the law.

“A permit for assembly is no longer required after the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 was enacted.

“Section 9(1) stipulates that an organiser shall notify the officer in charge of a district police headquarters of an assembly five days before it is held,” it said.

WMMY said it will submit another notice to the police tomorrow as a last-ditch attempt to get authorities to sign off on the march.

“Tomorrow marks the last day we can serve our notice and we will make one final attempt to do so at the Dang Wangi police headquarters,” WMMY said.