November 07, 2011
Ambiga
is questioned by an unidentified police officer over the Seksualiti
Merdeka event, in Petaling Jaya November 7, 2011. — Picture by Jack Ooi
PETALING
JAYA, Nov 7 — Police questioned today four human rights activists,
including prominent lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan, over their
involvement in a sexuality rights festival that has outraged several
Muslim groups.
According to Ambiga, the case is being investigated under Sections
298 and 109 of the Penal Code, as well as the Police Act, for offences
related to intentions to hurt a person’s religious feelings.
Upon emerging from the 45-minute session at the Tenaganita
headquarters here this evening, the visibly-angry Ambiga proceeded to
berate the media for vilifying the Seksualiti Merdeka festival, singling
out TV3 for the act.
The former Bar Council president then defied the station to carry her
statement today and those of her three colleagues in verbatim, failing
which she would mount a legal suit.
“I challenge TV3 to report exactly what Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir
has said. I also challenge you to carry everything I say now.
“You have been misleading the public, you have been calling this
(Seksualiti Merdeka) a free sex festival. I challenge you to carry
everything I say now or I assure you, you will be hearing from my
lawyers on this issue,” she said, training her gaze directly at a female
reporter from the television station.
“Watch out, TV3.”
Marina, who appeared today to show her support to the four, then
piped up to say, “And [my lawyers]. Don’t worry. And mine. I’ve been
looking at your face and we know who you are.”
Ambiga said describing Seksualiti Merdeka as a “free sex festival”
would only serve to subject the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) community to further persecution.
Apart from Ambiga, the police also questioned Seksualiti Merdeka
founder Pang Khee Teik, Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez and Bersih
2.0 steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah.
No comments:
Post a Comment