Restrictions on Protest Speech, Peaceful Voices in Front of the Ministry of Communications

(Kuala Lumpur, 4th) A rally themed "People’s Freedom of Speech" was held in front of the Ministry of Communications headquarters at 10am on Saturday morning, with some members of the public arriving starting from around 9am. The atmosphere at the scene was peaceful and orderly.

This rally was jointly initiated by businessman Dato’ Teo Kian Cheng, who exposed the issue of mining permits in Sabah, internet celebrity lawyer Hong Wei Xiang, and current affairs commentator and online personality Li Wei Kang. Both Teo Kian Cheng and Li Wei Kang arrived separately at the scene around 9am.

According to observations, most of the attendees were ethnic Chinese, some of whom also brought banners and sound equipment to the venue.

Law enforcement officers were deployed at the scene to maintain order.

According to a brief statement from Teo Kian Cheng earlier, the purpose of the rally was to protest what is alleged to be the Madani government's suppression of freedom of expression, as well as the blocking of social media content involving criticism of government policies, reform performance, and corruption issues.

Hong Wei Xiang's Facebook page was earlier blocked, preventing local users from normally viewing related content; he subsequently set up a new page to continue publishing his views.