KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — The Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 does not empower the police to prohibit a debate between former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) said today.

PPBM pointed out that under the PAA, organisers are only required to give notice to the police about organising an assembly and the police can impose certain conditions to ensure that the assembly runs peacefully.

"By prohibiting the debate between Tun Dr Mahathir and Nazri, the police are actually acting beyond their powers under the Constitution and the law.

"This indirectly violates freedom of expression and poses an obstacle to the pursuit of truth,” PPBM president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement.

He pointed out that PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek had a peaceful debate back in 2008 on fuel price hikes.

"I believe that the same atmosphere will be seen in the debate between Tun Dr Mahathir and Nazri if it is allowed to go on. Those in attendance surely just want to hear the arguments by both parties, not to create trouble,” said Muhyiddin.

Selangor police said yesterday that it cancelled its initial permit for the debate based on intelligence reports that there would be trouble if the debate proceeded as planned at the Karangkraf headquarters in Shah Alam.

Karangkraf has since said it will not continue with the debate, after police prohibited the programme twice.

The debate was originally scheduled for March 25 at the Mara Junior Science College in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, but state police prohibited the event.