Malaysian Bar site syndication http://www.malaysianbar.org.my Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:19:01 +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/general_notices/happy_holidays.html Bar Council will be closed on 6 and 7 Feb 2012 (Monday and Tuesday).Our next website update will be on 8 Feb 2012. Happy holidays! Notices - General Notices Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:29:04 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/is_the_definition_of_a_muslim_unconstitutional_.html ©Loyar Burok (Used by permission)by LoyarBurokkers Today, the Federal Court hears a special Constitutional Reference from the Shah Alam High Court which will have very far reaching consequences for a small minority of Malaysians living a double life. These Malaysians are forced into having an official “Muslim” identity, when they in fact profess and practice a different religion.An Indian Malaysian, Zaina Abdin @ Balachandran, who says he has spent the whole of his life – more than 60 years now – as a Hindu, is being unconstitutionally treated as a “Muslim” by the authorities.Bala’s father, also of Indian ethnicity, went through a formal conversion process in order to marry his Indian Muslim mother in the 1950s. But Bala’s father and mother lived as Hindus and continued to profess and practice Hinduism as their religion.In the early 1970s, Bala officially changed his name by a Deed Poll published in the Government Gazette. He went through a marriage registered under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 to his Hindu wife, and was blessed with 3 children. News - Legal/General News Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:31:46 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/correction_not_detention_prisons_to_focus_on_rehab.html ©The Sun Daily (Used by permission)by Azizul Rahman Ismail SHAH ALAM (Feb 2, 2012): The Prisons Department is moving towards correction instead of detention, with the implementation of four programmes to rehabilitate offenders through activities outside the prison walls.Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said the four programmes designed to achieve this goal are parole system, rehabilitation at army camps, Compulsory Attendance Centre (CAC) and halfway houses. The department is more about rehabilitation and less about keeping detaining or penalties, he said at the department's excellent service award presentation ceremony today. One of the achievements the department can be proud of is its parole system, Abu Seman said, adding that 1,196 prisoners were released under the programme in 2011 instead of only 722 in its initial year (2009-2010).According to the department's statistics, a total of 3,146 prisoners have been released through the parole system from August 2003 to December 2011, which works out to a savings of RM40.1 million in operational costs. News - Legal/General News Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:02:04 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/coroner_visits_site_where_cabbie_was_found_in_a_daze_during_rally.html ©The Star (Used by permission)by MAIZATUL NAZLINA KUALA LUMPUR: Coroner Zulkpli Abdullah led the inquest into the death of taxi driver Baharudin Ahmad at the Bersih 2.0 rally by paying a visit to the Avenue K building in Jalan Ampang here.The coroner was accompanied by Deputy Public Prosecutors Kalmizah Salleh, Ahmad Ishrakh Saad and Mohamed Shah Reza Noor Azman, lawyer Mohd Fikah Sanusi, who is holding a watching brief for Baharudin's family, and the tenth witness Silahuddin Salim.During the 25-minute visit, which started at 4.50pm, Silahuddin explained what happened outside the building, including the position of the roller shutters. He proceeded to demostrate Baharudin's position in the lobby area during the rally on July 9.Asked by Kalmizah, Silahuddin said he was carrying out an inspection with a technician outside the building when he saw a crowd running towards the building. News - Legal/General News Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:53:39 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/teohs_brother_can_appeal_coroners_open_verdict.html ©The Star (Used by permission) PUTRAJAYA: The brother of Teoh Beng Hock has been granted leave by the Court of Appeal to review a coroner's open verdict on the late political aide's death.In a unanimous decision, the three-man bench led by judge Justice Sulaiman Daud allowed the leave application by Teoh Meng Kee here yesterday.Meng Kee was given 14 days to file a notice of appeal.Following this, the Court of Appeal will decide whether the conclusion of an inquest should be based on evidence beyond reasonable doubt or the balance of probability.Teoh, who was political aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead outside Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters is located, a day after he was interrogated overnight on July 16, 2009. News - Legal/General News Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:48:15 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/what_lies_ahead_for_social_media.html ©The Star (Used by permission)Putik Lada By Foong Cheng Leong It is going to be a tempestuous year with more developments in the social media scene, and a digital war may erupt between Internet users, companies and governments.MALAYSIA’S social media sphere hit a milestone last year. Facebook users reached 12 million in Malaysia as at Decem­ber and Twitter users reached about 470,000 as at October.Defamation actions and criminal charges against people for alleged misuse of social media have also become normal. There have been interesting developments in the social media and Internet legal scene.Last year saw an increase in the use of social media by the legal profession to market their services. Some lawyers, law firms and courts have their own Twitter accounts.Former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (@Ambiga_S) has over 6,000 followers, international law firm Allen Overy (@AllenOvery) has more than 6,600 followers and the US Supreme Court (@USSupremeCourt) has 23,000 followers and counting. News - Legal/General News Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:39:10 +0100