The police previously instructed the organisers of the rally, planned for this Saturday, to obtain prior consent from the owner or occupier of the place of assembly.

“Public spaces do not have owners. But if it’s outside the Sogo department store, you must get approval from Sogo.

“For Dataran Merdeka, you must seek permission from Kuala Lumpur City Hall. That’s the law,” he told a press conference after the Asia 2025 International Security Summit and Expo here.

He urged the organisers not to kick up a fuss over the condition, expressing confidence that the police were acting in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.

Yesterday, the rally’s secretariat claimed that the condition set by the Dang Wangi police had no legal basis and was contrary to the PAA.

The secretariat’s legal adviser Zaid Malek said they submitted a notification for the rally on Jan 15, but the police asked them to seek the permission of the owner of the place of assembly, citing Section 11 of the PAA as a condition for the notice under Section 9 of the same Act.

He said the condition by the police came as a “surprise”, as he claimed that the rally would be held in public space.

The rally is to commence outside Sogo and proceed towards Dataran Merdeka.