Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasised that peaceful assemblies in front of the Parliament building should not be prevented.
Minister of Communications Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the Government MADANI spokesperson, said the Prime Minister expressed this stance during the Cabinet meeting today, stressing that safety and traffic management must be considered.
“There was discussion on the proposal to provide a designated location for submitting memoranda, such as at Padang Merbok. However, the Prime Minister stressed that assemblies in front of Parliament should not be blocked and rejected the proposal to relocate them,” Fahmi said at a weekly press conference.
In a related development, Fahmi added that the Prime Minister directed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa to review improvements at Padang Merbok so it can be fully utilised by the public.
“The Prime Minister also requested that the fencing around Padang Merbok be upgraded to make it more user-friendly and comfortable for the community,” he said.
Last Tuesday, reports stated that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) was instructed to open the gates of Padang Merbok to allow the public to use it as a recreational space for families and communities. Dr Zaliha noted that Padang Merbok, given its historical significance, should be fully utilised for public recreation, in line with the Bandar CHASE vision promoting a Healthy City concept.
