Ambiga Sreenevasan | |
|---|---|
| அம்பிகா சீனிவாசன் | |
_remarks.png) Ambiga Sreenevasan speaks at the International Women of Courage Awards ceremony in 2009. | |
| 24th President of Malaysian Bar Council | |
| In office March 2007 – March 2009 | |
| Deputy | Mr. Ragunath Kesavan |
| Preceded by | Mr. Yeo Yang Poh |
| Succeeded by | Mr. Ragunath Kesavan |
| Member of the International Commission of Jurists | |
| Assumed office 2018 Serving with Chinara Aidarbekova (Kyrgyzstan), Gamal Eid (Egypt), Jamesina Essie L. King (Sierra Leone) and Michael Sfard (Israel) | |
| President | Robert K Goldman (USA) |
| Chairwoman of Bersih 2.0 | |
| In office 2011 – 30 November 2013 | |
| Preceded by | none |
| Succeeded by | Maria Chin Abdullah |
| Chairperson of Bar Council Orang Asli Committee | |
| In office 2010–2012 Co-leading with Steven Thiru on 2011/2012 tenure | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Steven Thiruneelakandan & Hon Kai Ping (Co-chair) |
| Independent Director of Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Centre | |
| In office 2011–2013 | |
| Executive Committee of Women's Aid Organisation | |
| In office 2009–2010 | |
| President of National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) | |
| Assumed office 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Mr. Abdul Rashid Ismail |
| Member of Committee on Institutional Reforms | |
| Assumed office 15 May 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Council of Elders |
| Prime Minister | Mahathir Mohamad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 November 1956 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Spouse | Mr. S. Radhakrishnan (grandson of S. S. Vasan) |
| Alma mater | University of Exeter, England |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Award(s) | Darjah Dato' Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP), 2008[1] |
| International Women of Courage Award, 2009 | |
| Honorary Graduate of University of Exeter, 2011–12 | |
| Honorary Doctorate in Law (LLD) of University of Exeter, 2011 | |
| Legion of Honour, 23 September 2011[2][3] | |
_with_Secretary_of_State_Hillary_Rodham_Clinton_and_First_Lady_Michelle_Obama.png)
Ambiga Sreenevasan (Tamil: அம்பிகா சீனிவாசன், romanized: Ampikā cīṉivācaṉ; born 1956) is a prominent Malaysian lawyer and human rights advocate, and one of eight recipients of the US International Women of Courage Award in 2009. She was the president of the Malaysian Bar Council from 2007 to 2009, and co-chairperson of Bersih, an NGO coalition advocating for free and fair elections.
She previously served in the executive committee of the Women's Aid Organisation as well as in the Bar Council Special Committee on the rights of the indigenous Orang Asli people. She is a director of the Securities Industry Dispute Resolution Centre, and has been involved in the preparation and presentation of papers and memoranda on issues relating to the rule of law, the judiciary, the administration of justice, legal aid, religious conversion, and other human rights issues.
As former president of the Malaysian Bar, she played a significant role in the establishing of a panel of eminent persons, together with LAWASIA, the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute and Transparency International-Malaysia in the year 2008. This panel reviewed the judicial crisis of 1988 and issued a report which was the first of its kind, setting an important precedent for organisations to establish their own panel inquiring into abuses of power.[4]
In July 2011, she received an honorary Doctorate in Law (LLD) from the University of Exeter.[5]
- ^ Perak honours list Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bersih's Ambiga receives top French award". Malaysia: Malaysiakini.com. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ^ "Conferment of the insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour to Dato Ambiga Sreenevasan". Embassy of France in Malaysia. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ^ "Ambiga Sreenevasan – Honorary Graduates – University of Exeter". Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- ^ "Ambiga to be conferred doctor of law by UK varsity". themalaysianinsider.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.