PUTRAJAYA: Former Bersih chief Datuk S. Ambiga should be realistic in her criticisms of the government's plan to license social media platforms, says Fahmi Fadzil
The government spokesman said he disagreed with Ambiga's remarks, which he described as hyperbole and not grounded in reality.
"This is not the government that conducted Ops Lalang and this is not the government that takes action against protesters.
"Recently, a group of protesters holding a picket in front of the Prime Minister's service centre in Tambun were treated fairly and not met with batons and tear gas.
"In fact, they were given water and bread instead," he said during his weekly post-Cabinet press conference here Thursday (Aug 1).
On Monday (July 29), Ambiga, who led Bersih from 2011 to 2013, said she never imagined a Pakatan Harapan-led government would break its promises of reforming archaic laws, including the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984.
Her remarks were in response to a government announcement that all social media and Internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in the country must apply for a licence.
Fahmi said that Ambiga has the right to express her criticism but it must be made in the right context.
"I invite her to look back at the history of our struggle including the Bersih protests, when she helmed it, on how they were treated.
"Such things are not happening now. I think she has the wrong target. Maybe her remarks were aimed at the previous leaders," he said, without mentioning any specific names.
