By The Star
Saturday July 5, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: The Bar Council has expressed concern over the suggestion to deploy the armed forces to maintain public order, particularly in relation to assemblies.
Its chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, in a statement yesterday, said the threat of such deployment was intimidating to the public who had shown the desired maturity and responsibility in the conduct of such assemblies.
“The public had in fact understood that this Government was moving towards loosening the grip on assemblies,??? Ambiga said. “The threat of the use of the army is wholly inconsistent with this and any process of democratisation that we are aiming for.??? Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan announced on Wednesday that the armed forces would be called in to assist police in maintaining public order if the security situation of the country warranted it.
Meanwhile, civil society groups called on the Government to firmly reject any proposal to deploy the armed forces during any public rally.
The 27 organisations, in a joint press statement yesterday, also urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to immediately assure the public that the army would not be deployed in civilian matters. – Bernama