The well-known Malaysian lawyer, activist, and human rights advocate, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, has been acknowledged with higher distinctions recently.
Ambiga Sreevasan was awarded the prestigious World Jurist Association’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg Medals of Honour 2023. She receives this distinguished award from His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain in a ceremony that was held in Madrid on May 9.
According to the World Jurist Association, she was honoured for her work advocating free elections and women’s and human rights.
Born to a prominent Malaysian urologist, Ambiga is a trailblazing Malaysian Indian known for her outstanding achievements in law and human rights advocacy.
She began her work as a lawyer in England in 1980 and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar two years later. Over the next three decades, Ambiga ‘s work focused more on commercial and corporate litigation. However, she rose to prominence in 2007 when she led a march of 2,000 lawyers as president of the Malaysian Bar, calling for judicial reform.
Since then, Ambiga’s work as an advocate has continued to focus on fighting for human rights and promoting democratic reform in Malaysia. In 2011, she chaired a movement calling for election reform, and she has been a staunch advocate for Malaysian women’s rights.
Ambiga has received numerous awards for her work, including the U.S. International Women of Courage Award in 2009. Adding more to this list, she previously received the Malaysian Bar Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2021 and was recently named by Forbes in the list of “50 Over 50: Asia-Pacific 2023,” featuring remarkable women who are making waves in their respective industries and serving as inspirations for the next generation.
She has been always remain dedicated to doing her work of advancing democracy and human rights in Malaysia.
We’ve always looked up to you for inspiration! Congratulations for receiving such a meritorious award, Datuk Ambiga.
