Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan has taken Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) to task for claiming she is among those sowing the seeds of animosity in the nation.

"I challenge them to publicly produce evidence of the preposterous allegations or withdraw them immediately.

"If they truly uphold values and are principled, they must do one or the other," she told Malaysiakini , stressing that silence was not an option.

She was responding to Isma women chief Norsaleha Mohd Salleh, who said people like Ambiga, the “chauvinist DAP, MCA and left-wing NGOs” are creating “hatred and distrust” in society.

“You should demand the government and the (attorney-general) to immediately charge them under the Sedition Act if you are really serious and sincere in wanting to uphold peace in the country,” added the Isma leader.

Norsaleha said this in criticising MCA Wanita vice-chairperson Ong Chong Swe as " shallow and confrontational " for wanting Isma to be charged under the Sedition Act.

Isma is 'Is Mad'

Also seeing red with Isma was MIC strategy director S Vell Paari who said the movement is suffering from dementia.

Without mincing words, he said the movement should add the alphabet “d” to its acronym, as it “Is Mad”.

He described the attacks on Ambiga and Ong as unwarranted.

“This a democratic nation, where anyone can disagree with anyone’s views. But in doing so, one must provide reasons and concrete evidence for the disagreement.

“They should not hide behind the veil of religion and just shoot from the hip,” he said.

Vell Paari said it has become a standard accusation that some groups or political parties are challenging Islam.

“To my knowledge, I have never read about any politician stating that Islam should no longer be the official religion of this country or that respect should not be accorded to the faith.

“So what is Isma talking about?” he asked.

Agreeing with Ong, he said Isma leaders should be charged under the Sedition Act based on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s statement that the law is needed to safeguard religious harmony.

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