Referring to the incident in Kuala Selangor when reporters and a videographer from two media organisations were harrassed by a group of men, Puteri Umno chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said action must be taken to serve as a lesson to others, The Star reported.

“When it comes to public safety and security, appropriate punishment should be meted out to anyone who creates chaos and threatens harmony and national security,” she was quoted as saying by the daily.

Reporters and a videographer of The Star and a reporter with Malaysiakini were harrassed and physically-accosted by anti-Bersih protestors on Saturday while they were covering the Bersih election reform group’s road convoy in the Kuala Selangor area.

The leader of the party’s young women’s wing said that the behaviour of the anti-Bersih group, which also included members of the Red Shirts movement, was not in line with Malaysian or Muslim customs and culture.

“These actions will hurt our greatest national treasure – peace, stability, respect and harmony – that we have held dear for so long.

“We honour the practice of democracy that we have followed since Independence which is clearly stated in the Federal Constitution.

“As citizens, it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that our unity, tolerance and harmony remain secure,” Mas Ermieyati said, adding that it was not wrong for the people to campaign in a harmonious and legal way that did not disrupt the peace, The Star reported.

Three men were arrested over the incident following an initial probe by the police, who had opened investigations under Section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 506 of the Penal Code for preventing a crime from occurring and criminal intimidation respectively.