PETALING JAYA, May 24 — Glovemaker Supermax Corporation Bhd was pressured into showing its support for the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said.

In an interview with BFM today, Rafidah, who is also Supermax’s former chairman, revealed that the firm was forced to toe the line following her scathing criticism of BN.

"Well, the background story is that the company was pressed by the [BN] regime to sack me for my comments [against them],” she said.

When asked about the public apology from Supermax’s managing director Datuk Stanley Thai on his support for PH during the previous election in 2013, Rafidah said she did not harbour ill-will towards Thai.

"The pressure was too much for him. I was made to understand that all he did and said was orchestrated for him.

"I will continue to speak, and no idiot can make me stop talking, especially when what I say is true. It is my democratic right to do so,” she said.

Rafidah added that she resigned from her post within 10 minutes of learning what had transpired between Thai and the then-government.

"Stanley does not need to apologise for anything. It is his right to support anyone on earth in the elections,” she said.

Another company which Rafidah said had its arms twisted by the former administration was AirAsia Berhad and its Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

"Tony did not grovel, but he merely buckled,” she said, clarifying that Fernandes meant only to please the powers-that-be.