KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Bar Council today welcomed the
High Court decision to release web portal Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra
Kamaruddin from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Its president, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, said Justice Datuk Syed Ahmad Helmy
Syed Ahmad, who made the decision after allowing the application for a writ of
habeas corpus by Raja Petra, came at the right time.
"At a time when public confidence in the independence of the judiciary has taken
a beating from one judicial crisis to another, and at a time when promised
judicial reforms have yet to take place, the decision of the learned high court
judge in the habeas corpus application of Raja Petra Kamaruddin gives us hope
that our judiciary has acted and will act with courage, integrity and
independence when the liberty of an individual is threatened by the arbitrary
use of power under the Internal Security Act 1960," she said in a statement.
Ambiga said it was to the judiciary that an individual turned for the protection
of his rights against the might of the State, and it bode well for the nation
that the judiciary had shown that it was prepared to hold the executive
accountable for any abuse of its power.
In his judgment, the Shah Alam high court judge held that the grounds for Raja
Petra's detention by Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar under section 8
of the ISA did not come within the scope of that section.
Syed Ahmad Helmy then ordered that Raja Petra, who has been held at the
Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak, since Sept 12, be brought before the
court at 4pm for his release.
Raja Petra, 58, had applied for the writ of habeas corpus seeking his release on
the grounds that his detention under the ISA was unlawful and unconstitutional.
He named Syed Hamid as respondent.
He was detained on the same day as Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok and
Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, also under the ISA. Both have since
been released.
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International Arbitration Conference by CIArb Malaysia (22 to 24 Aug 2013) Organised by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, this conference will be held at Eastern & Oriental Hotel, 10 Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 George Town, Penang, from 22 to 24 Aug 2013 (Thursday to Saturday). The conference carries 10 CPD points. Early-bird rate ends on 30 Apr 2013. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Islamic Finance Regulatory Framework (23 May 2013) Organised by the Bar Council Professional Standards and Development Committee, this seminar conducted by Megat Hizaini Hassan will be held at 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 23 May 2013 (Thursday). The seminar carries three CPD points. Click on the link above for more details.
8th LAWASIA Employment Law Conference, Cambodia (24 and 25 May 2013) Organised by The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (“LAWASIA”), this conference featuring Lia Alizia and Brian Williamson, will be held at Tara Angkor Hotel, Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Siem Reap, Cambodia, at 8:45 am to 7:00 pm and 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, on 24 and 25 May 2013 (Friday and Saturday), respectively. The conference carries 10 CPD points. Click on the link above for more details.
MSLSSL and MCLJ Conference on Employment and Labour Laws 2013 (30 May 2013) Organised by the Malaysian Society for Labour and Social Security Law and Malaysian Current Law Journal, this conference entitled “Current Issues on Employment and Labour Laws” will be held at 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, on 30 May 2013 (Thursday). The conference carries six CPD points. Click on the link above for more details.
“Transforming Criminal Justice” One-week Study Programme (25 to 29 Nov 2013) Organised by Public Administration International (“PAI”), this UK-based one-week study programme entitled “Transforming Criminal Justice: from Joined-up Justice to Multi-agency Approaches” will be held in London from 25 to 29 Nov 2013 (Monday to Friday). For further enquiries, please contact PAI by telephone at +44 (0)20 7580 3590, by fax at +44 (0)20 7580 4746, or by email at pai@public-admin.co.uk.
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