'Call for Ambiga to be hanged not BN's stance'

BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor said the call for Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan to be “hanged” for organising the April 28 rally was not the party’s stance.

BN’s Seri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz (right) yesterday had likened Ambiga to the leaders of the Al-Ma’unah militant group which tried to overthrow the government in 2000.

The militants were eventually sentenced to death by hanging for “waging war against the King”, under the Section 122 of the Penal Code.

“Shouldn’t we also hang Ambiga for treason towards the Agong? Traitors should be punished as harshly as possible,” Mohamad had said.

Tengku Adnan, in a short statement, said this was Mohamad’s “personal opinion”.   

“I wish to reiterate that the Barisan Nasional upholds the constitution and principles of the rule of law and the case related to the Bersih assembly is still under investigation by the authorities,” said Tengku Adnan, who is also the Putrajaya MP.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, MIC chief G Palanivel defended Ambiga, saying that such remarks will only avert the Indian electorate from BN if left unchecked. 

“It is not right for a member of parliament to say that Datuk Ambiga should be hanged.

“In fact, no member of parliament should make this kind of a remark,” he said in a statement sent via text message by his aide.

Palanivel quizzed why Ambiga was being made a “scapegoat” when there are others on the Bersih steering committee.

“Why didn’t these people demonstrate or put up burger stalls in front of other Bersih leaders,” he said, commenting on the other protest outside Ambiga’s house claiming that the electoral reform rally had caused them more than RM200,000 in losses.

He also called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and BN leaders to “put a stop” to the damnation, adding that “such remarks will affect Indian voters who are turning towards BN now”.