‘Muhyiddin behind MP’s outburst’

An NGO leader claimed that Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz was working with the deputy prime minister to derail Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the general election.

KUALA LUMPUR: The ‘Hang Ambiga’ statement is a acquiring a life of its own. Now, people are reading sinister moves into that statement. One of them is National Indian Rights Action Team (Niat) chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim.

He claims that Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz is being used as a foil by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to destabilise Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Thasleem says that both the Johoreans want to derail Najib’s efforts to regain two thirds majority in Parliament.

“The only way Muhyiddin can get the top job is by denying Najib the two thirds majority at the Dewan Rakyat. Mohamad is a perfect tool for this,” claimed Thasleem.

On Tuesday, Mohamad called for Bersih chairperson S Ambiga to be hanged for being “treasonous” by organising the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.

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

His calls however received brickbats from various opposition leaders and even Barisan Nasional leadership distanced itself from Mohamad on the matter. The Umno MP retracted his remark today.

Thasleem alleged that Mohamad was attempting to derail Najib’s attempt to woo the Indian community by making such attacks against Ambiga.

“Besides, Mohamad knows he may not be fielded as a candidate in the next general election. So he does this to keep his political career alive,” said Thasleem.

He later dared Mohamad to make the statement outside the Parliament or tender an apology for it.

“If he doesn’t repeat his remarks outside, it will show that he was only abusing his privileges to abuse respected NGO leaders who champion civil rights issues,” said Thasleem.

Police report lodged

DAP MP M Manogaran meanwhile called upon the Parliament and the authorities to take action against Mohamad under the Sedition Act for making derogatory remarks against Ambiga.

“MPs don’t enjoy absolute immunity at the Dewan Rakyat and Mohamad can be probed under the Section 4 of the Act,” said Manogaran after lodging a report at the Travers police station in Brickfields today.

Also present with him was Seremban MP John Fernandez.

Manogaran said among the words used by Mohamad to describe Ambiga were “pengkhianat negara”( traitor) and “penderhaka kepada Agong” (disloyal to the King).

He also questioned the Umno MP on why he targetted Ambiga alone and not her fellow committee members.

“The reason is simple. It’s because Ambiga is an Indian and a lady,” he said.

On a related matter, MIC secretary-general S Murugesan urged Najib to act against Mohamad for his insensitive remarks.

“MIC central working committee hopes the prime minister will act appropriately against Mohamad for his discriminating remarks,” he said.

Murugesan said the MIC regretted that a senior backbencher like Mohamad could make such such immature and gender biased statement against a respected lady like Ambiga.

“And Mohamad chose to vent his anger on Ambiga alone while leaving out the other Bersih organisers,” he said.