Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider

Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has declined to meet with the Tun Hanif Omar panel to discuss the events during the April 28 rally for free and fair elections in the capital city.

The independent advisory panel headed by Hanif had on Tuesday sent out invitation letters to Ambiga and the Bar Council in a bid to come up with a “comprehensive” report.

But Ambiga today told The Malaysian Insider that she is turning down the invitation.

“It’s really nothing personal about the decision. It’s based on principle that we’re declining to participate in the panel’s proceedings,” the prominent lawyer-activist said in a phone conversation.

The Bar Council has yet to make public its decision on the invite.

The Hanif panel was formed on May 2 by the Home Ministry following numerous allegations of police brutality against participants of the Bersih 3.0 rally and members of the media.

The Bersih movement pressing for electoral reform and the Bar Council had previously refused to participate in the Hanif panel’s investigation.

Another panel set up by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is currently probing claims of police violence during the rally.