Malaysians protest against controversial assembly bill

Hundreds of Malaysian lawyers and rights activists have staged a rare protest march in Kuala Lumpur, the country's capital, demanding that the government abandon plans to pass a new law they say would stifle the freedom of public assembly.

About 500 lawyers representing Malaysia's Bar Council marched to parliament on Tuesday, chanting "Freedom to the people", just hours before federal legislators began to debate the contentious Peaceful Assembly Act proposed by Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition.

Harry Fawcett reports from Kuala Lumpur.