ADUN SPEAKS | Former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan is doing the right thing by not giving in to attacks and intimidation.

She will not bend to the pressure exerted by some Umno and PAS leaders for her to reveal her source of information about the financial gratification of RM90 million that PAS allegedly received from Umno.

On April 21, 2017, PAS filed a defamation suit against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown over an allegation that PAS received RM90 million from Umno sources as an incentive for political support.

PAS filed the case in the London High Court against the article which appeared on Sarawak Report in August 2016.

Ambiga was cited by Rewcastle-Brown as the source of information regarding the transfer of funds from Umno to PAS.

While the trial in London has hardly begun, there is a kind of political "witch hunt" against Ambiga by PAS and Umno leaders to pressure her to reveal her source of information.

Some PAS leaders have asked her not to hide but reveal her source of information about the transfer of funds. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi said that Ambiga should not "throw a stone and hide her hand" on the matter. He asked her to own up to her responsibilities to reveal the source of information about the money given to PAS.

Apart from the political witch hunt, there are more clandestine forms of pressures or attacks that are being mounted against Ambiga.

The whole idea behind these attacks, intimidation and pressures is to make sure that Ambiga would be "politically destroyed" even before she makes her appearance in court.

Ambiga is not a person to be intimidated. As a trained lawyer, she gave a measured response to the press saying that she would respond to these queries or attacks during her testimony in court, if called upon.

There is neither reason nor rhyme for Ambiga to respond to these "kangaroo courts" organised by both PAS and Umno to reveal her sources of information.

It is strange because PAS, which has filed the defamation suit, should know better whether it is ethical for the party to engage publicly on this matter. Perhaps the party leaders should seek the advice of their lawyers on this matter.

There seems to be some kind of division of labour in the attacks against Ambiga.

In the UK, none other than controversial pro-Umno blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who has condemned both the women in racist and sexist terms is now mounting further attacks against Ambiga and Rewcastle-Brown.

In Malaysia, the attacks against Ambiga are by Umno and PAS. They want to intimidate and politically neutralise her to the extent that she might not be an effective witness when the trial begins.

Ambiga should keep her cool.

Malaysians who want change for the better, who are against the kleptocratic regime of Najib and who are against corruption and racism, sexism and other evils will lend their support to Ambiga.

These masters of "kangaroo-courts" have nothing against Ambiga.