CHAPTER 2 - REPORT OF THE COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES WORKING GROUP (iii) Religious leaders should refrain from making statements which could be detrimental to understanding and harmony. Referring to the parliamentarians’ demand for a Public Inquiry, the Commission was of the view that the issue would be best handled by holding a roundtable discussion among religious leaders. Furthermore the Commission’s power to hold a Public Inquiry was restricted because most of the incidents were under investigation by the police, and several of the cases had been taken to Court. In August, two individuals were sentenced to five years’ jail for causing mischief with fire at the Metro Tabernacle Church in Desa Melawati. (f) Peaceful Assembly The Commission received a request from SUARAM and GMI to monitor their ISA Candle-light Vigil on 1 August at Padang Timur, Dataran MBPJ, Petaling Jaya. The vigil was to commemorate the passing of the ISA 50 years ago and to call for the abolition of the law. The theme for the vigil was ‘50 Tahun ISA: Mansuh! Bukan Pinda’. The Commission set up a monitoring team led by two Commissioners, Mr Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah and Mr James Nayagam. They were accompanied by five officers. However the planned vigil was stopped at the beginning by the police on the ground that the organisers did not have a permit as stipulated under Section 27(2)6 of the Police Act 1967. Several individuals were arrested when they did not heed the police’s instruction to disperse. The Commission’s team was present at the venue of the vigil and also at Petaling Jaya Police District where those arrested were taken. The monitoring team remained in place until approximately 4.50am. During the exercise, the Commission received full cooperation from the police which enabled the Commission to observe and monitor the incident. Cooperation was again extended by the police in allowing the Commission to monitor the process of recording statements of those arrested at the Petaling Jaya Police District Station. 6 Section 27 Power to regulate assemblies, meetings and processions: (2) Any person intending to convene or collect any assembly or meeting or to form a procession in any public place aforesaid, shall before convening, collecting or forming such assembly, meeting or procession make to the officer-in-charge of the Police District in which such assembly, meeting or procession is to be held an application for a licence in that behalf, and if such police officer is satisfied that the assembly, meeting or procession is not likely to be prejudicial to the interest of the security of Malaysia or any part thereof or to excite a disturbance of the peace, he shall issue a licence in such form as may be prescribed specifying the name of the licensee and defining the conditions upon which such assembly, meeting or procession is permitted: Provided that such police officer may at any time on any ground for which the issue of a licence under this subsection may be refused, cancel such licence. 44