It's not right to hang Ambiga - panicky MIC finally finds the guts to tell Najib, BN

Fearing political backlash, the MIC has finally spoken up for Ambiga Sreenevasan after an Umno lawmaker called for her to be hung for organizing the hugely successful Bersih rallies for free and fair elections,

So far, MIC has largely snubbed the Bersih co-chairman despite a slew of attacks and smear campaigns against her, accusing her of siding with the Pakatan Rakyat opposition against Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration.

However, rumblings within the Malaysian Indian community have grown too loud to ignore, and the MIC may have found itself forced to defend her or risk the wrath of Malaysian Indian voters at the next general election.

“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,” MIC chief G Palanivel was reported as saying.

Belated salvo

The MIC's response comes after the Pakatan Rakyat lambasted Umno for calling for Ambiga's "murder", with the DAP set to lodge police reports nationwide against the Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz, who had a day ago said Ambiga should be hung.

“Shouldn’t we also hang Ambiga for treason towards the Agong? Traitors should be punished as harshly as possible,” Mohamad Aziz had said in the august House on Tuesday night.

Ambiga herself has replied by saying that the real traitors were not those who fought for clean polls such as Bersih and herself, but those who gave away citizenship to foreign workers in exchange for votes for the BN in the general election.

Is it sincere?

Since the July 9, 2011 Bersih 2.0 rally and the recent April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally, where more than 250,000 Malaysians gathered in the vicinity of the Dataran Merdeka venue to clamor for the electoral system to be cleaned up and revamped, Ambia has been the target of Umno leaders.

Pundits have said to stir Malay hate towards her so as to nip in the bud further Malay support for the Bersih movement, Umno-linked groups have demonstrated against her.

In the wake of the recent Bersih 3.0 rally, they set up burger stalls in front of her home, cooking beef even though she was a Hindu and did not eat beef. More disgustingly, a group of army veterans did vulgar exercises, showing and twisting their butts in the direction of her home to signal their contempt for her.

MIC had then slammed those who queried why it did not condemn the Umno-linked groups, accusing the Opposition of 'racialising' the issue to ingratiate itself with the Indian community.

However, it looks like Palanivel may have decided to beat a hasty retreat, coming out with a belated salvo that has been questioned for its sincerity.

“Why didn’t these people demonstrate or put up burger stalls in front (the houses) of other Bersih leaders? The prime minister and other BN leaders should put a stop to this matter. Such remarks will affect Indian voters who are turning towards BN now,” said Palanivel.

Racism, religious bigotry and sexism - the hallmarks of whom?

Even without the MIC's condemnation, the actions against Ambiga were widely condemned and she has earned more respect than before for not retaliating or responding to the provocation in an angry or nasty manner.

The former Bar Council president is the receipient of the prestigious Women of Courage award from the US and the Knight of the Legion of Honour award from France.

“Clearly these remarks are inflammatory, designed to stir disaffection, extremism and racism. It was directed against her because she’s a woman, Hindu and Indian,"  DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Malaysia Chronicle