MCA: Don't Chinese have a right to assemble?

MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon is crying racial discrimination after police obtained a court order to ban Dong Jiao Zong's planned conference regarding Jawi script lessons in vernacular schools.

"The government can organise a Malay Dignity Congress, but Chinese groups can't organise a closed-door meeting?

"Don't the Chinese have the right to assemble? Are the Chinese ministers on holiday now? They've all become quiet and do not dare to speak?" Chong (photo) posted on Facebook.

The post was accompanied with a hashtag of a Chinese idiom which says that stopping the people's flow of thoughts will cause more harm than stopping the flow of a river and another hashtag about the "unstoppable fire" of Chinese education.

According to the court order sighted by Malaysiakini, Kajang magistrate Syahrul Sazly Mohd Sain granted the restriction order in view that there would be a breach of the peace if the meeting was allowed to proceed.

Dong Zong said it would respect the court order, and has called off tomorrow's event.

Meanwhile, DAP central executive committee member Wong Kah Woh said the police had over-reacted by obtaining a court order.

He said this should never have happened under the current Pakatan Harapan government.

"Whether or not you agree with the position taken by Dong Zong, you need to respect the right to assembly. This right shall not be taken away.

"The government will now be facing huge criticism due to the action by the police," he said.

He added the government must send a clear message that freedom of assembly must be respected.

DAP Youth chief Howard Lee said the police move to get a restriction order contravened Malaysians' constitutional right to free assembly.

"The police should be protecting Dong Zong's right to assemble peacefully just like how the organisers of Malay Dignity Congress were protected. The right to differ is the backbone of any democracy," he said.

Tras assemblyperson Chow Yu Hui, meanwhile, said blocking the Dong Zong congress but allowing a Malay congress was "certainly self-destructive political suicide."