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Penampang: The proposal to allow public assemblies to be held at selected locations without police permits is certainly one step towards a wider democracy, said United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok."I think it is not practical to expect that people will not react (to certain changes) because everywhere in the world there will be reaction from the people to changes," he said.

Dompok, who is Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, was asked to comment on the statement by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein that the Government hoped to amend several Acts, including the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) at the next Parliament sitting in October.

"There have been a lot of thoughts and suggestions on how the ISA should be re-looked," said Dompok after the soft launching of the Tinungkusan Momogun Association (native heritage) at D' Junction, Saturday.

However, he said the issue had yet to be raised at the Federal Cabinet level.

He said the decision to do away with race identification when filling up government forms was made by the Federal Cabinet because more people now want to be identified only as Malaysian.

Hishammuddin was reported as saying that the other Acts to be amended included the Police Act, the Multimedia and Communications Act, the Restrictive Residence Ordinance and Public Security Act.