BANGI, Feb 16 ― Shariah Chief Justice Tan Sri Ibrahim Lembut has questioned the sincerity of G25 spokesman Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin's criticism of Shariah laws here, noting that the former Sessions Court judge did not raise such concerns before her retirement.

Responding to a question on how the Shariah Judiciary Department (JKSM) could rebut such criticism, he said Noor Farida and the G25's complaints stemmed from “disappointment”, but did not explain what they were disappointed over.

“Last time when she was serving the government, at that time she did not dare to say all these.

“Now that she’s retired and there’s nothing else, she can come out to say that this-and-that is not right and all that,” said Ibrahim, who is also JKSM director-general, during dialogue session held at the Islamic Training Institute Malaysia (ILIM) today.

Farida last year announced at press conference after a G25 forum titled “Islam in a Constitutional Democracy” that the group of Malay senior retired civil servants was setting up a consultative committee to review unconstitutional state Shariah enactments and laws that violate personal privacy, such as khalwat laws, and to recommend repeal or amendment.

Ibrahim today said that such issues should be settled in the courts rather out in the public,

“There are ways to manage this, so for us, we will debate in the court. Whatever they want to say, we can debate it in court,” he added.

The G25 styles itself as a pro-moderation group comprising Malay former senior civil servants that is seeking for Putrajaya to uphold the supremacy of the Federal Constitution in the country's laws.