Circular No 114/2016
Dated 12 May 2016
The Bar Council Criminal Law Committee is holding a public forum on Section 124 of the Penal Code and parliamentary democracy.
Sections 124B to 124J of the Penal Code were tabled in Parliament in 2012 as amendments to the Penal Code. It was suggested by the Malaysian Government that the amendments were necessary to deal with violent offences such as assassination of heads of state, coup d’état, armed insurgency or guerrilla warfare, and breach of constitutional provisions.
However, the recent application of section 124B of the Penal Code raises uncertainty as to the ambit of an “activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy”.
The following are details of this forum:
Date: 20 May 2016 (Friday)
Time: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm (registration begins at 2:30 pm)
Venue: Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Straits Trading Building,
Unit 2–02A, 2nd Floor, 2 Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
CPD Code / Points: T3/20052016/BC/BC164271/2 (Two)
This forum is open to the public, and admission is free of charge.
The confirmed speakers are as follows:
Gobind Singh Deo, Member of the Bar; and Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Malaya.
We have also invited the following:
YA Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Mohamed Apandi b Ali, or a representative from the Attorney General’s Chambers; Supt S Shanmugamoorthy Chinniah, Legal and Prosecution Division (D5), Criminal Investigation Department, Bukit Aman, or a representative from the Royal Malaysia Police (Polis Diraja Malaysia, “PDRM”); and Gurdial Singh Nijar, Consultant, Messrs Sreenevasan.
Please note the programme outlined below:
Programme Details
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Registration
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm Opening Remarks
George Varughese, Vice–President, Malaysian Bar
3:15 pm – 5:15 pm Panel Discussion
Section 124 of the Penal Code and Parliamentary Democracy
5:15 pm – 5:30 pm Tea Break
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm Question–and–Answer Session
Places are limited and registration is on a first–come, first–served basis.
To register, please complete and submit the attached registration form by email to
rajeswari@malaysianbar.org.my and florence@malaysianbar.org.my; or by fax to 03–2032 2043. Should you have any enquiries, kindly contact Rajeswari Gunarasa, Officer (03–2050 2089,
rajeswari@malaysianbar.org.my) or Florence Laway, Senior Administrative Assistant (03–2050 2104,
florence@malaysianbar.org.my). Thank you.
Salim Bashir Bhaskaran and V Sithambaram
Co–Chairpersons
Criminal Law Committee
This circular and the attachment may also be accessed
here.