| Summary: | In a press release on 30th April 2012, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemned the Malaysian government for the excessive police violence directed against protesters during the BERSIH 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on 28th April 2012. FORUM-ASIA also called on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) to conduct a full public inquiry into the violence. Participants in the rally gathered to demand country-wide electoral reforms and an establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as a response to cases of police abuse. Tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse the crowds and 572 individuals were arrested. Nearly a month later, on 21st May 2012, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was one of three people charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act for participation in the BERSIH 3.0 rally. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the concept of policing, public order and public disorder, the freedom to assemble and also the governance of peaceful assembly. This paper employs a doctrinal, content analysis and secondary data, of which the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and the penal Code are the primary sources. The secondary sources for this paper include articles in academic journals, books and online databases. This paper could be a useful source of information for the law enforcers, practitioners, academicians, policymakers and students in this particular area of crime. This paper contributes to a discourse on public order policing in the Malaysian context. (c) 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK
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