THE outspoken Siti Kasim today defended her dance partners Chief Justice Richard Malanjum and Attorney-General Tommy Thomas at a lawyers event, calling the critics “pretenders and hypocrites”.

In Facebook post entitled “GET A LIFE RETARDS”, the lawyer and activist slammed Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki who had condemned the chief justice and the attorney-general for dancing with de-facto law minister VK Liew and other lawyers at last night’s gala dinner to open Legal Year 2019 in Kota Kinabalu.

Former Malaysia Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan, Siti and other lawyers were also seen participating in what Asyraf said was “inappropriate social interaction” between senior judges and lawyers. 

“We were at a legal function. Of course the top guns in the legal area will be there you morons,” Siti said on Facebook today. 

“No wonder under BN (Barisan Nasional), everything shut down. Pretenders and hypocrites the lot of them. At least we are not hiding anything. It’s just a normal dinner where we ‘enjoy’ ourselves. Or do they not recognise this word anymore?.

She also scoffed at the claim that the lawyers’ moves on the dance floor would court controversy.

“What controversy? (Is) my bank account full of money? Do I get discharged from my current trial with JAWI? Do I get favours from the CJ? From the AG? Nope. If I talk to them it’s all about the Orang Asli. I don’t even know them personally.”

Siti also told Aysraf, who had posted the video of the dancers on Facebook today.

“If you have integrity, self respect and honesty, you will remain so under whatever circumstances. You’ll start thinking negative thoughts because you are like that.

“Peguam kontroversi (Controversial lawyer)? Just because I call a spade a spade? Like calling some of the Malays as bongok and bangang for being unable to think? Just because I speak about religion in which these Malays think I should just shut up? Just because I am a woman?”

Siti told The Malaysian Insight that no laws were broken at yesterday’s event. 

“The judges were special guests and were not involved in political activities,” she said.

She said those who are unhappy about it are “Umno and PAS people”.

“They are gasping on their last breath. They’ll find fault in anything, even an innocent dance.”

Facebook has since removed Siti’s post and barred her from posting on the site for seven days.

She said someone had reported the post as “hate speech”.

“My posting on that one got banned by FB. The idiots report on it. I’m banned now for 7 days. Cowards,” she said in a text message.– January 19, 2019.