Ambiga defends Bersih, wants minister to apologise

The claim by a minister that media personnel covering the Bersih 3.0 street rally last year were allegedly "beaten up" by demonstrators is in stark contrast to findings by the Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) inquiry into the rally, said Bersih.

According to Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan (left), Suhakam found that members of the press were, in fact, assaulted by police during the April 28, 2012, rally and that this finding was never responded to or rebutted by the police.

She cited, among others, paragraph 114 of the commission's findings which stated "...the police did physically assault, injure, intimidate or manhandle media personnel Chen Shaua Fui (from Merdeka Review), Koh Jun Lin (Malaysiakini), Mohd Radzi Abdul Razak (The Sun) and Puspanathan Periannan (The Star) ... even though attempts were made on their part to identify themselves as being from the media."

Ambiga was referring to a statement made by Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek in Parliament yesterday that the government had nothing to do with Malaysia's drop in ranking - from the 122nd spot to the 145th - in the World Press Freedom index, but rather it was due to media "safety concern" following alleged assault of reporters by demonstrators at the rally demanding electoral reforms.

Minister blames Bersih

"It is shocking that the minister is seeking to throw the blame for the appalling standards of media freedom on Bersih, when, in fact, it is entirely the government's fault why we are in this position.

"One only has to look at the oppressive legislation in place, the lies spewed by the government media, the stifling of freedom of speech and the treatment of media who may publish contrary views, to know who is responsible,' she told Malaysiakini in an email response yesterday.

She called on Ahmad Shabery (above), who she claimed is either "misled or is misleading" the Parliament, to immediately apologise to Malaysians who attended the rally that day.