PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad harshly criticised the Bar Council for holding its forum on conversion to Islam.

He said sensitive issues should only be discussed behind closed doors and its conclusions passed to the Government and not openly announced and disseminated.

He slammed the Bar Council for forgetting the agreement between the founding fathers of the parties representing the three main communities not to openly discuss sensitive issues, one of them being Islam as the official religion of the country.

"The leaders and races have respected this understanding when Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Hussein Onn and myself were Prime Minister," he wrote yesterday in his blog www.chedet.com.

He said there should not be any misgivings about the level of democracy enjoyed in this country and that of certain developed nations.

"What is good for them is not necessarily good for us," he said.

The former prime minister said certain restrictions that ensure peace and security of the country should be accepted.

He blamed the Government for the Bar Council's "arrogant attitude" and recent forum on conversion to Islam, adding that the Government should have prevented the forum instead of turning their back on the past understanding.

Dr Mahathir said during past premierships including when he was a premier, every race and their respective leaders had respected the special understanding although there were some challenges, which they overcame.