Will PM act on 2 errant Umno MPs?

Despite Sri Gading parliamentarian Mohamad Aziz withdrawing remarks calling for Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan's hanging, the coalition said an apology is in order from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Given that Mohamad Aziz (left) was egged on by his BN colleague, Lenggong MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah - who is also from Umno - Najib must be held responsible as he is the leader of the party and the ruling coalition.

"Unless the BN is a habitually violent party, one would expect Najib or BN's party whip to immediately order the two parliamentarians to withdraw the statement and to apologise to Ambiga, Parliament and the entire nation, and to take immediate disciplinary action against the MPs concerned," said the Bersih secretariat in a statement.

The secretariat said that any self-respecting premier would not take such expression of hatred lightly and disown responsibility, warning that it may trigger hate crimes.

Should the premier choose to do nothing about the "hate and witch hunt campaign", it would no doubt reinforce the 'false democrat' label given to him by Canadian daily Globe and Mail, warned the secretariat.

"And the Malaysian public too will make their judgement come polling day," said the movement which has been campaign for free and clean elections.

Remark grudgingly withdrawn

Mohamad had made the remark during a debate in Parliament on Tuesday, when he insinuated that Ambiga should be sent to the gallows for treason over her role in the Bersih movement.

Yesterday, on instructions from deputy speaker of the Dewan Rakyat Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Mohamad grudgingly withdrew the remark.

"I am a disciplined person. I am from a party that is disciplined. If my remark has hurt the feelings of my fellow leaders from MIC or PPP then in the spirit of BN fellowship, I retract my statement made on Tuesday," he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, without directly referring to Ambiga.

Leaders from coalition partners MIC and PPP have earlier expressed their objection to the thinly-veiled racist attacks on Ambiga.

Ambiga has been receiving brickbats from Umno and its NGO allies in the wake of the massive Bersih 3.0 rally two months ago.

Most notably, several demonstrations were held in front of her house.