The district police chief, assistant commissioner Abdul Aziz Salleh, told Guardian Australia that under the government’s Peaceful Assembly Act which regulates public protests, 10 days’ notice had to be given to police before a protest could be held.
The federal court is set to rule on the validity of that act on 9 July, after an appeal against it on constitutional grounds.
“What [Lowrey] did was illegal because under our law it is illegal to be involved in any public assembly without permission,” Abdul Aziz said.
“Secondly, she is a foreigner who was approved to come into this country for other reasons, not to protest.”
At a minimum she would be deported to Australia, he said, but added she could face two years in prison, a fine, or both.
“I warned the protesters they had 10 minutes to move on, but they did not move,” he said. “I told them it was illegal.”
Just last week a puffed up Malaysian religious extremist called Ibrahim Ali turned up in the UK to set up a branch of his hate organisation, Perkasa.
The Metropolitan police, tipped off by other incensed Malays, the majority of whom are disgusted by his bigoted activities, gave him a visit.
They warned him that violent and offensive behaviour, designed to anger and cause conflict, is not permitted in the UK on the grounds of basic civility and consideration towards others.
However, they did not prevent his right to peacefully gather with other like-minded bigots and to set up a branch of his society for racists.
By contrast in Malaysia, as Ms Lowry experienced, Mr Ali’s actions would nowadays have been illegal.
For a start his group would have needed a permit ten days before hand to even gather for their meeting and it would have also required a permit to set up this branch of his society (ie the arbitrary permission of the people running the government of the day).
Did he warn immigration about the purpose of his visit? Unlikely.
Surely, if this unpleasant foreign visitor could be tolerated by the disdainful British, the Malays should not embarrass themselves by in return arresting a quiet and peaceful human rights protestor from abroad like Ms Lowry?