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Bar Council to educate Malaysians on Federal Constitution

Friday, 16 April 2010 08:51am

© The Star (Used by permission)

THE Bar Council of Malaysia has taken the initiative to educate Sarawakians and Malaysians as a whole about the supreme legislation of the country with the launching of the MyConstitution Campaign.

They hope to simplify the message of the Federal Constitution, which sets down how the country is run and how Malaysians can live in it.

As part of the campaign, a series of “Rakyat Service Advertisements” on the nine themes of the Constitution would be produced, nine pocket-sized layman’s guide will be published and a series of forums and workshops will be held to raise awareness.

Advocates Association of Sarawak (AAS) president Frank Tang said at the launching of the campaign in Kuching that there was much disconnect between what is in the Constitution and how it was defined, interpreted and implemented by the executive and even by the Highest Court in the country.

“The average Malaysian citizen relies on what he reads in the newspapers or what he sees and hears on the electronic media, what he hears politicians say and what he sees the government and the courts do, to try to make sense of events and issues that touch the Constitution.

“Sadly, we cannot say confidently that all that has been reported, said and done have been true of what’s actually in our Constitution,” he said.

In this respect, he said the campaign aimed at bridging that disconnect by bringing about positive changes through better awareness and understanding of the Constitution.

He emphasised that the campaign empowered the people by educating them on the importance of their role as citizens and the freedom, rights and privileges guaranteed to them under the Federal Constitution.

“Hopefully, this will bring about positive changes to our society and realise our aspirations and hopes for a truly 1Malaysia nation,” said Tang.

The campaign was launched by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum. At the launching, Taib announced a grant of RM50,000 to AAS to fund the campaign in Sarawak.

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