The DAP disciplinary board wants Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim to confirm if he has repeated his public criticism of Bersih 3.0 although he was rebuked earlier by the party leadership over the matter. “I am trying to locate Tunku (Aziz) for the statement,” the board's chairman Tan Kok Wai told a news portal yesterday.
Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan called for disciplinary action to be taken against Tunku Aziz, who is party vice-chairman, over his remarks on the rally. Manoharan accused Tunku Aziz for failing to toe the party's line by making the remarks, which he said were tantamount to a “double misconduct”.
“It is my personal view that severe action should be taken against him. He seems to be a great embarrassment to the party. It is the police and not the public that should be blamed. The public have a right to voice out (their feelings),” he said yesterday. He called on Tunku Aziz to leave the party on his own accord, claiming that the latter did not understand the party leaders' struggles, especially those who were held under the Internal Security Act.
Tunku Aziz had spoken out against the rally before it was held on April 28, fearing that it might turn violent. Expressing sadness over the violence that did occur, Tunku Aziz recently remarked that the Bersih 3.0 organisers should have realised that while there were those who were genuinely fighting for electoral reforms, others were out to create havoc or hijack the rally for their political agenda.
He added that it was unfair for Bersih leaders and politicians to solely blame police for the violence between protesters and police. Tunku Aziz reportedly said Bersih 3.0 organisers were not “angels descended from heaven” who were blameless, adding that they should look at themselves before pointing at police for last Saturday's violence. When contacted yesterday, Tunku Aziz said he was not upset with Manoharan as he was entitled to his personal view.