Perkasa questions Ambiga’s credentials in criticising former chief justice

Malay rights group Perkasa has warned former Bersih 2.0 chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan not to go overboard in her criticism of former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad, saying she was not sufficiently qualified to judge him.

Its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali (pic) said Ambiga should take a look at herself in the mirror before criticising Hamid.

"Ambiga is just a former Bar Council president, there are so many people out there who are far more qualified than her," he said in a statement today.

"Who is Ambiga to issue a warning to Hamid? She should look at the mirror first.

"She is always raising her voice and calling for attention to various issues such as human rights and free elections.

"But others cannot call attention to issues, only her. Pi la Ambiga, Lu boleh jalan (Get lost Ambiga, take a hike)," Ibrahim said.

Negara-ku patron Ambiga yesterday said Hamid was still bound by restraint even though he was no longer sitting on the bench.

"By convention, former judges, even after they step down, are expected to conduct themselves in a particular way.

"They must do this so that it does not reflect badly on the judiciary. It's like an unwritten rule but in other countries, they actually have guidelines on that," Ambiga said after speaking at a forum in Penang yesterday.

Hamid had earlier this week claimed that the position of Islam was under threat in Penang, saying non-Muslims wanted similar status to be accorded to their respective faiths.

Hamid, who is the head of the National Unity Front – a unity council set up by Malay rights group Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs – blamed Muslims for allowing the use of the word Allah in Bahasa Malaysia Bibles.

He said this while presenting a paper in a forum organised by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim).

The Bahasa Malaysia Bibles are used by the Bumiputera Christian communities in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as by some Christian orang asli community in Peninsula Malaysia.