KUALA LUMPUR: The Bar Council yesterday set up a special legal committee to
assist ISA detainees should there be any requests.
The 25-member committee will be led by Rajpal Singh.
"This committee is set up to respond immediately if there are any requests for
help (from ISA detainees)," Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said
yesterday.
Also present were past presidents Yeo Yang Poh, Datuk Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari,
Sulaiman Abdullah and Hendon Mohamed.
Ambiga said the Bar had also decided to hold an emergency general meeting on
Saturday at Wisma MCA on the ISA and the recent detentions.
Ambiga said the Bar was left in "utter disbelief" over the Friday detentions of
blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng
and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.
She stressed that there were sufficient provisions in the Penal and Criminal
Procedure Codes that allow for police investigations on the cases related to the
three detentions.
Kuthubul said the use of the ISA was unjustified as there were legal avenues for
the government to address the issues at hand.
Yeo stressed that the use of the ISA was not a healthy development and would
only harm efforts and reverse any progress achieved towards nation building.
Hendon questioned the government's rationale for continuing to employ the ISA,
which she claimed was "kept for convenience".
"It is time for the government to seriously consider allowing people to speak
out. Otherwise, we will only end up degenerating," she said.
Sulaiman likened the ISA to a nuclear weapon, saying that the act must only be
used in extreme cases.
"The Bar does not agree with the ISA, but if the government insists on using it,
then only use it in extreme cases. The Bar does not see the situation to be that
extreme that it warrants the use of this nuclear weapon (in the three arrests)."
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) called for all parties to
respect the current political climate, parliamentary democratic procedures and
the rule of law.
Hakam executive councillor Ramdas Tikamdas said the basis of a government's
legitimacy was the people's perception of justice and fairness, particularly in
the application of the law.
"When these laws are seen to be abused and misused for the political fortunes or
the security of a few, then perception of illegitimacy will permeate."
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Workshop on Financial Planning (18 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this workshop will take place at 10:00 am, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 18 May 2012 (Friday). The workshop will be conducted by Chooi Kim Ying. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on an Introduction to the Industrial Relations Act (23 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 23 May 2012 (Wednesday). The seminar will be conducted by Wong Keat Ching. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Tax Issues in Financial Transactions (25 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar, featuring S Saravana Kumar, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Conference on Competition Law (31 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council with the support of LexisNexis, this conference will take place at 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, on 31 May 2012 (Thursday). For more details or to register, please contact Vilashini Vijayan (03-2050 2095; vila@malaysianbar.org.my). Click on the link above for more details.
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Circular No 102/2012: Mahkamah Sesyen/Majistret Kajang Moving to Kompleks Mahkamah Kajang
