This comes after police obtained a court order barring 34 activists from entering several parts of Kuala Lumpur.

Speaking to FMT, Suara Rakyat Malaysia executive director Sevan Doraisamy said the police had already been notified by its organisers, Solidarity Rakyat Secretariat (SSR), that the event had been called off.

“On Aug 18, SSR, in a discussion with the Dang Wangi police chief, notified him of the rally’s cancellation.

“Clearly, it was not going to happen. So why is the court issuing a court order barring 34 activists from entering several areas in Kuala Lumpur? Was the court being misled?”

Sevan said the police action, including serving court orders to activists at night and barring entry, was an overreaction to the management of peaceful demonstrations.

In a statement last night, SSR called on the police to stop harassing activists after it served court orders on activists, barring them from entering several areas in Kuala Lumpur.

SSR said police had acted excessively in sharing the full names and personal details of the activists on social media through the publishing of the court order and in serving the notices on the activists at their homes at night.

“We view this as an act of intimidation to stop activists from exercising their democratic rights.”

On Thursday, SSR had called off the protest scheduled to take place today following Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation as prime minister.

It said Muhyiddin’s resignation was a victory for Malaysians who hold him responsible for the loss of more than 13,000 lives as a result of the government’s failure to curb Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said the 88 roadblocks the police had put up across Kuala Lumpur had cause inconvenience to the city’s residents who wanted to travel to and from the city centre.

“The closure and diversion of traffic involving so many policemen for a rally that has been cancelled is unreasonable and a waste of time and energy,” she said in a statement.