KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — Civil rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) has today urged the police to review its practice of investigations assemblies that turned out to be peaceful, despite no police reports lodged.

its executive director Sevan Doraisamy said that the police’s recent move to investigate and serve notices to participants of the Women’s March Malaysia yesterday was an act of intimidation, and that the force should instead be focusing on crime prevention instead of oppressing activists and civil societies.

"This act not only restricts the right and freedom of assembly, but also tries to silence members of the public who are bringing up urgent issues such as child marriages, violence against women and dress policing,” he said in a statement.

Sevan also called on the police to stop all investigations against the activists involved in the Women's March, and urged the government "under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim” to increase protection for the freedoms of speech and assembly.

Yesterday, hundreds of Malaysians marched from the Sogo Shopping Complex to Dataran Merdeka.

Subsequently, Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Noor Dellhan Yahaya said that the police had opened an investigation into Women’s March Malaysia under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1995.

Section 9 of the Peaceful Assembly Act states that an organiser must notify the Officer in Charge of the Police District in which the assembly is to be held 10 days ahead.

Meanwhile, Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act deals with the offence of using "any indecent, threatening, abusive or insulting words, or behaves in a threatening or insulting manner, or posts up or affixes or exhibits any indecent, threatening, abusive or insulting written paper or drawing with intent to provoke a breach of the peace".

In a statement, the police said it noted the placards used by the march, listing down these phrases: "‘Imagine If Men Are As Disgusted With Rapes As With Periods, Child Not Pride, Trans Women Are Women, Police Your Behaviour Not My Body".

Noor Dellhan also said that the police were in the process of identifying all the individuals who were involved and would be calling them up to record their statements.

Held annually since 2017, the march this year outlined nine demands including the protection of "bodily autonomy”, the banning of child marriages, elimination of violence against oppressed genders and sexual minorities, as well as enhanced protection systems and more safe public spaces for oppressed genders.

It also asked for constitutional and legislative reforms for gender equality, equal political participation of oppressed genders at all levels of governance, the ensurement of decent work standards and living wages, and the declaration of a climate crisis together with an action plan.