In conjunction with the Human Rights Debate 2008 organised by the Bar
Council Human Rights Committee, an International Human Rights Day gala
dinner was held at Modesto’s, Desa Sri Hartamas.
Lawyers and guests started to stream in at 7.00pm. The event started
off with the welcome address by Andrew Khoo, the Co-Deputy Chair of the
Human Rights Committee. Andrew brought along a bicycle wheel and voiced
his disappointment over the recent arrests of members of Jaringan
Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT) by the police. He described human rights as a
tyre covering and protecting the spokes and the frame of a wheel.
“You
could ride the bicycle with a flat tyre but eventually you will damage
the frame. Likewise if you ignore human rights, you undermine the basic
structure of our country and you will eventually destroy it.”
The event continued with Bertrand-Xavier Asselin, the Second Secretary of the High Commission of Canada, saying a few words. The Gala dinner would not have been possible without the generous support of the High Commission of Canada.
The highlight of the night however was the inspiring keynote address delivered by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. He started off his speech by emphasising that human rights are, in essence, the fundamental principles we need to live by as a civil and civilized society and to treat each other as human beings should - with dignity, with due regard to our status as equals and having the same rights :-
“We need to get our young people to recognise the rights they have. It is easy to lose or give up what one does not know one possesses. Malaysia’s diverse races and especially those from different economic class seem to have little appetite for common values. We focus more on our differences than on our similarities. For a country segmented by ethnicity and religion and having self doubt about its identity and heritage, a common bond is needed.”
Datuk Zaid reminded the audience that we must continue our efforts to defend and promote human rights in our society. He also urged the NGOs to launch a massive public campaign to create public awareness on human rights :-
“There must be widespread support for human rights if we want to see changes in our laws and public policy. This is why more public support for human rights is imperative and why leadership in state governments and at the Federal level should also support this initiative”
He ended his speech by thanking the Bar Council Human Rights Committee, the Bar Council, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM), Irene Fernandez and Tenaganita and Sisters in Islam (SIS) for their continued fight for human rights of Malaysians. After his speech, Datuk Zaid graciously agreed to take questions from the audience and this lasted for about 30 minutes.
The Gala Dinner was attended by all the debaters, volunteers, sponsors, several representatives of the NGOs and members of the Malaysian Bar.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Talk on Intellectual Property Law (10 Feb 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, the talk on “Intellectual Property Law” will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 10 Feb 2012 (Friday). The talk will feature Bahari Yeow Tien Hong. Click on the link above for more details.
The Case of the Missing Penang Lawyer: Charity Treasure Hunt 2012 (12 Feb 2012) Organised by the Penang Bar Committee Social Subcommittee in aid of the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM), this event will take place at Straits Quay, Penang, on 12 Feb 2012 (Sunday). Deadline for registration is 6 Feb 2012 (Monday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings (21 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, the seminar on “The Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings”, featuring Sanjeev Kumar Rasiah, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 21 Feb 2012 (Tuesday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Conveyancing (24 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar featuring Jeremiah R Gurusamy will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 24 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Mediation Skills Training Course (29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012) Organised by Bar Council, the Mediation Skills Training Course will take place at 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012 (Wednesday to Sunday). Deadline for registration and payment is 17 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on “Land Fraud: An Australian Perspective” (13 Mar 2012) Organised by IGIL, GSGSG and UUM COLGIS, this free talk featuring Quintin George Rozario of Delta Law, Brisbane, Australia, will take place at 9:00 am, at Dewan Seminar A, Pusat Konvensyen, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, on 13 Mar 2012 (Tuesday). To RSVP, contact Mr Abutt (04-928 4397; abutt@uum.edu.my).
The event continued with Bertrand-Xavier Asselin, the Second Secretary of the High Commission of Canada, saying a few words. The Gala dinner would not have been possible without the generous support of the High Commission of Canada. 
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Circular No 019/2012: Change of Address for Pejabat Pengarah Tanah dan Galian Wilayah Persekutuan
Did Lai Chee Hoe hear what the spectators (without having to name them, ) had asked during the 30 min question time?
If so, why were the facts incorporated in the "questions and answers" completely omitted?
If not, why not?
Thank you.
Tan Peek Guat