An email warns the Bersih chairperson that two gangsters have been hired to 'terminate' her.Hired thugs to kill you: email warns Ambiga

RK Anand | July 1, 2012

Hired thugs to kill you: email warns Ambiga

PETALING JAYA: Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga has received an email warning her of a threat against her life.

The former Bar Council president told FMT that she received the email yesterday afternoon.

The email with its subject stated as “Beware hired guns out to kill you” claimed that a particular group had contracted two thugs to “terminate” her.

Although she withheld the identities of those mentioned in the email as well as that of the sender, Ambiga however said there were no references to any political parties.

The Bersih leader, who lodged a report with the Travers police station, preferred not to reveal the sender in order to protect the source.

“I will leave it to the police to investigate the matter,” she said.

Ambiga also revealed that police officers had recorded her statement regarding the threat yesterday evening.

Expressing concern for her safety, Ambiga said: “Yes, I am worried and I must be careful. I would need to beef-up security for myself.”

Hate speeches to blame
The Bersih leader also blamed the unrelenting hate speeches targeted at her for such threats.

“Since last year, irresponsible people have been consistently churning out hate speeches against me and this has contributed to the state of affairs.

“The latest episode being the ‘hang Ambiga’ remark [by Umno MP Mohamad Aziz]. These people cannot just say such things and retract them later,” she said.

This was the second death threat the Bersih leader had received. The first was via a mobile phone text message last year.

Ambiga shot to prominence following the Bersih 2.0 and 3.0 rallies, which drew tens of thousands to the streets of Kuala Lumpur demanding for free and fair elections.

Following the latest rally on April 28, she had come under fire from various quarters, including government leaders, with even Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak claiming that the rally was held to topple the government.

Disgruntled traders, who had supposedly incurred massive losses due to the rally, held a burger protest outside her residence while a group of army veterans staged a lewd exercise routine.

Apart from accusations of these protests being politically-motivated, it was also said to be racial in nature since the other leaders in Bersih were not targeted.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector-General of police Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that a report was lodged.

He said the police were investigating the case under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.