Malaysian Bar site syndication http://www.malaysianbar.org.my Sun, 26 May 2013 15:18:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.malaysianbar.org.my Malaysian Bar site syndication http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/malaysian_bar_slams_arrest_of_activists_and_politicians.html ©The Star (Used by permission)PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Bar has slammed the arrests and prosecution of activists and opposition politicians as “regressive” actions that do not reflect the Government's aspirations of establishing a world-class democracy.Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong said they were “appalled” by the arrests and subsequent charging of activists Adam Adli, Haris Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat politicians Tian Chua and Tamrin Ghafar, aside from the arrest of 18 people at a recent candlelight vigil in support of Adam.Leong said the seizure of copies of opposition party organs Harakah, Suara Keadilan and The Rocket were uncalled for and that prohibiting the sale and distribution of the publications was unconstitutional. News - Legal/General News Sat, 25 May 2013 09:01:02 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/ministry_marriage_should_not_be_way_out_for_suspected_rapists.html ©The Star (Used by permission)By P. ARUNA and QISHIN TARIQPETALING JAYA: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has expressed concern that marriage would become an “excuse” to escape prosecution for cases of statutory rape.Its minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, in reference to the case of a restaurant manager charged with raping an underage girl in Sabah, called for legal action to be taken against the man.She recommended that action be taken by the Sessions Court through Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape or by the Syariah Court under Section 80 of the Sabah Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1995 for unlawful sexual intercourse. News - Legal/General News Sat, 25 May 2013 08:55:31 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/press_statements/press_release_recent_arrests_and_actions_by_the_authorities_are_a_closing_of_democratic_space.html The Malaysian Bar is appalled by the recent arrests of several individuals pursuant to the Sedition Act 1948. The Sedition Act, as with its predecessor the Sedition Ordinance, was conceived and designed by a colonial government to stifle fundamental rights and liberties, oppress the rakyat and deny them democratic space. Its sole purpose was to suppress and persecute the citizenry. The Sedition Act has no place in our modern democratic society and should have been discarded at Merdeka. The time for it to be dumped into the dustbin of history is long overdue.It has been reported that Adam Adli, Tian Chua, Tamrin Ghafar and Haris Ibrahim were arrested for purportedly making seditious statements at a forum held on 13 May 2013. The continued use of the Sedition Act by the authorities directly contradicts the promise made less than a year ago by Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak in July 2012, that the 64-year-old law will be repealed and replaced in 2013 by a National Harmony Act. This was a clear admission and recognition by the Government that the Sedition Act was an anachronistic and repressive colonial law. The Prime... News - Press Statements Fri, 24 May 2013 21:34:57 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/press_statements/press_release_the_malaysian_bar_commends_and_supports_maccs_proposals.html The Malaysian Bar commends and supports the initiatives by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (“MACC”) headed by its Chief Commissioner Dato’ Sri Haji Abu Kassim bin Mohamed. The MACC is an important and indispensable institution in the fight against corrupt practices and for the prevention of corruption.The recent proposal by the MACC, through its Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel (“CCPP”), as reported in the news media on 21 May 2013, that all elected representatives in Parliament and State Assemblies should declare their assets every three years, is a positive step towards promoting good governance, integrity and the rule of law.In this context, the Malaysian Bar proposes that the need to make such declarations not be confined to elected representatives in Parliament and State Assemblies, but be extended to include all public officials.The definition of public official under Article 2(a) of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption ( UNCAC ), which Malaysia signed on 9 December 2003, and subsequently ratified on 24 September 2008, should be adopted. It defines public official as:(a) any person holding a legislative, executive, administrative or judicial office; and(b) whether elected or appointed, whether permanent or temporary, whether paid or unpaid, and... News - Press Statements Thu, 23 May 2013 20:17:33 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/family_cries_foul_play.html ©The Malay Mail (Used by permission)by G. PrakashTHE hearse carrying the body of N. Dharmendran, 32, who died while in police custody was driven into the city police headquarters yesterday.Dharmendran, who had been detained following a shooting case, died on Tuesday while being taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) after he had complained of chest pains.During the 2.50pm incident yesterday, some of those present including family members and friends forced opened the gates of the police headquarters entrance and drove the hearse in, leaving policemen stunned. News - Legal/General News Sat, 25 May 2013 09:29:22 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/crackdown_begins.html ©The Malaysian Insider (Used by permission)by AMIN ISKANDAR KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 ― Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, activist Haris Ibrahim and PAS’s Tamrin Ghafar were arrested for sedition today and brought to the Jinjang police station for questioning, according to reports.Home Ministry officials also carted off over 1,000 copies of PAS-owned Malay newspaper Harakah from shops and several distribution centres in a separate sting today, as Putrajaya mounts an apparent crackdown against Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters.It is understood the trio were detained separately in an apparent police crackdown today after Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the new national police chief Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar vowed to clamp down on those who threatened to take down an elected government through revolt.This is the third police investigation into sedition since the May 5 general election.“I was arrested, now in the police car, at Jalan Kuching, heading towards the Jinjang police station,” Tamrin, the son of former deputy prime minister Tun Ghafar Baba, told The Malaysian Insider in phone call at 2pm today. News - Legal/General News Fri, 24 May 2013 10:46:14 +0100