A random thought occurred to me a couple of days ago – the government should just gazette Dataran Merdeka as a fixed location for peaceful assemblies and protests.
In many other countries, there are also such designated spots such as the Parliament Square in London – a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London that is one of London’s main tourist attractions and also the place where many demonstrations and protests are held.
Our Dataran makes a very good spot to do this. It is close enough to Jalan Parlimen, which leads directly to our Parliament. The square itself has its own history as the place where the Union Jack was lowered in 1957.
It is located opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad building, an iconic building that played many roles over the years. It is also located directly in the heart of KL and features prominently during our national day parade due to the massive road directly between it and the building.
Many cars drive through Jalan Raja into the heart of the city and therefore, protest causes can be easily heard by the people. It’s located close to several LRT stations. Underneath, is a small mall, which can provide amenities, food and the all important foot-traffic as well.
Dataran Merdeka is wonderfully positioned to be the place to protest and hold demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur.
Sybreon Ones Nought 