Kuala Lumpur: The Home Ministry (MOHA) will prepare a Cabinet memorandum following the government's decision to amend the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (Act 736), as announced by its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Saifuddin indicated that the Secretary-General of the Home Ministry, Datuk Awang Alik Jeman, has been tasked with assisting in the preparation of this memorandum. This will be followed by an engagement session with relevant stakeholders.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the engagement process will involve peaceful assembly activists, Members of Parliament, and other stakeholders. Once the Cabinet agrees to the amendments, the revised metrics will be developed and subsequently tabled in Parliament. This announcement comes after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declared the government's intent to amend Act 736 to better facilitate peaceful assemblies in the country.

The proposed amendments, scheduled for discussion in the next Parliament session, aim to remove Section 11 of the act, which currently requires the consent of assembly location owners. However, organisers will still be required to inform the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) five days prior to any rally to ensure the authorities can manage security, control, and traffic efficiently.

Saifuddin Nasution emphasized the MADANI Government's openness to public gatherings, noting that in 2023, 10,000 gatherings were reported to the police, with 98 percent proceeding without restrictions. In 2024, over 7,000 notifications were received, and 99 percent were permitted, with only a small fraction facing issues due to location permissions rather than government restrictions.