PETALING JAYA: MCA leaders have continued to express regret over the protest
which caused the abrupt stop of the Bar Council’s forum on conversion to Islam.
Party vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said the gate-crashing to halt the forum
was clearly a breach of the true spirit of democracy and had caused much
commotion among politicians and the rakyat.
In his blog (www.ongteekeat. net), Ong said that although there were still
numerous issues deemed sensitive by certain sides, inter-ethnic and inter-faith
dialogues aimed at enhancing mutual understanding and respect should in no way
be viewed negatively or with scepticism.
“The ruckus was indeed an ugly episode and could jeopardise public confidence in
the rule of law. However, in the true spirit of democracy, one can contest the
views of others but one must also learn to respect the freedom of speech that
others have,” he said.
The controversial forum had on Saturday attracted hundreds of protesters from
various groups who protested outside the Bar Council building in Kuala Lumpur
demanding for the discussions to be stopped.
Ong’s fellow vice-president Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn said he was “very
disappointed” with the support extended by Pakatan Rakyat MPs to the Bar Council
forum protesters.
“In the last general election, they (Pakatan candidates) were in the forefront
calling for respect for all religions and for open debate.
“But now when there is an open debate, not only do they not support it but they
were in the forefront of the protest,” he said.
The party’s women’s wing deputy chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the issues
brought up by the Bar Council should be allowed for discussion and not be swept
under the carpet.
“We cannot treat every issue as sensitive. In fact, the Bar Council forum is a
platform for various groups to engage in discussions in a peaceful manner
seeking a solution,” she said in a press statement yesterday.
MCA Publicity Bureau chief Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said he was “disappointed that the
matter had not been resolved after the many promises and discussions”.
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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.
Dialogue with Criminal Law Practitioners (26 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council, this dialogue will take place at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 26 May 2012 (Saturday). 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.
Talk on What Clients Want (7 June 2012) Organised by the KL Bar Practitioners' Affairs Committee, the talk, presented by Ong Eu Jin, will take place at 5:00 pm, at the KL Bar Auditorium, on 7 June 2012 (Thursday). Click on the link above for more details.
4th LAWASIA Family Law Conference, Penang (13 and 14 July 2012) Supported by Penang Bar Committee and the Malaysian Bar, this conference, themed “The New Global Family: Emerging Trends and Challenges to Family Practice”, will take place at Traders Hotel, Penang, on 13 and 14 July 2012 (Friday and Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
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Circular No 106/2012: Accountant’s Report 2011
