KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 ― A group of opposition youth leaders and social activists have urged the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to probe police arrests over the #KitaLawan rally, claiming it was a violation of human rights.

PKR's Chang Lih Kang said that the police have violated the people's rights to assemble peacefully in arresting rally organisers which most made up of Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) youth chiefs.

“On what basis are they arrested and given remands? We have assembled peacefully and then they decided to arrest us,” Chang told reporters after handing a memorandum to Suhakam.

“Their action violates people's rights to assemble peacefully as stated in Article 10 (Federal Constitution).”

He added that laws such as Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) has already been declared “unconstitutional” by the court last year, yet the police continue making arrests using it.

The Teja assemblyman further claimed that the police arrests were “selective” and created a “culture of fear” among the public.

Also present today was Syukri Razab, coordinator of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).

Suhakam vice chairman Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee who received the memorandum from the groups promised that the commission would look into the matter.

“We will study the issue in our next meeting and make a decision within a month's time,” she said.

The police have conducted a series of arrests on PR youth chiefs after the giant rally held on March 7 to protest the Federal Court's decision to send Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to jail for sodomy.

Among them were PKR's Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Rafizi Ramli, DAP'S Teo Kok Seong and also activists such as Adam Adli and Bersih's Mandeep Singh.

They were investigated under the Section 9(5) of PAA and Section 143 of Penal Code for unlawful assembly.

On Monday, the police have also arrested PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar to record her statement on two separate probes — one on her involvement in the #KitaLawan rally two weeks ago and one on her parliamentary speech.