It is always difficult to capture moments of magic on paper.
Yesterday at the Walk for Justice there were many such moments. When members of
the Bar, senior and junior, gathered at the steps of the Palace of Justice. When
many more members defied attempts to stop them coming into the area by walking
for nearly one hour to get to the Palace of Justice, banners and all. When we
steadfastly, peacefully and purposefully walked the boulevard from the Palace of
Justice to the Prime Minister’s office. And finally, despite the rain, when
members of the Bar stood getting wet, waiting for us to come back after handing
in the memoranda. (Click
here to view the Picture Gallery)
Looking at it again (thanks to the authorities), we had two walks for justice,
one from the buses to the Palace of Justice and the second from the Palace of
Justice to the Prime Minister’s office!
While many live in denial about the state of the Judiciary, we the Malaysian Bar
rose to the occasion once again to say “enough is enough”. This country, its
people and the good and honest Judges in the Judiciary deserve better.
In this endeavour I salute members of the Bar Council who with one voice had no
hesitation in agreeing to the walk. Not only that, barring absence from the
country or other commitments, the Council members were all there.
But the true heroes are you, members of the Malaysian Bar and I salute you.
Though there were 2,500 members on the ground, there were many more of you who
could not be there who were with us in spirit. We felt your presence. The cause
of justice unites us all and we spoke with one voice.
Members, it was the privilege and honour of your Council to have led the Walk
for Justice. Yesterday, the Malaysian Bar acted with great honour and dignity
and in the highest traditions of our noble profession.
I said yesterday, when the Bar walks, something is wrong. We know it and the
public know it but we must now ensure something is done about it. We owe it to
the people and to the nation.
The road to justice may be long. Our walk for justice may not have ended. But we
cannot falter. I leave you with the inspiring words of Nelson Mandela in his
book “The Long Walk to Freedom” which I know will resonate with you.
“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have
made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after
climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I
have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that
surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for
a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my
long walk is not yet ended”.
Proud of our President written by Ching Bee Geok,
Friday, September 28 2007 08:38 am
I am very proud of our courageous lady President. Although I wasn't there at the Walk, My spirit was with you all the way.
Ching Bee Geok Sitiawan, Perak
LONG MARCH written by Ding Chu Teck,
Friday, September 28 2007 11:59 am
Sdri Ambiga,
The Long March to JUSTICE has begun. You have taken the first step.
Ding Chu Teck
TRIBUTE TO THE 'SILENT WORKER' written by Stephen Tan Ban Cheng,
Friday, September 28 2007 09:08 pm
Madame President
Thank you and your Councillors for sponsoring our collective March for Justice. It is a September to remember for the remaining years of my life.
The Malaysian Bar, through its 2,500 members who marched, with resulting blisters in the foot and all, braving the natural elements of rain and sunshine, has displayed that Malaysian lawyers do not want for any courage to act and speak out without fear or favour, as per our statutory duty.
It is a great exercise in the task of mobilising our members.
We struck out for the democratic principle that in a genuine democracy, all citizens enjoy the inalienable right to assembly peacefully. I never knew that I would be a first-time demonstrator doing the march at the ripe old age of 57! And despite my inclement health, I must have been blessed by the Lord that I could complete the march without collapsing. I must thank the Lord for keeping His promise to me as I do His work.
He even sent me a fellow lawyer who offered me an extra hankerchief for wiping off my sweat. He even sent me drinks when I needed them.
For the sake of posterity, the Bar Council must conduct a post-mortem of the event to fine-tune our capability to mobilise. We must never again be caught almost flat-footed if our buses are stopped from arriving at our designated destination. We must develop fall-back plans for all contingencies, including provocations from certain a senior police officer, a SAC1, I believe, who chided one of our senior members. "You are an idiot," he told this senior member. I happened to be walking beside this senior member. Such was his cool that he never allowed himself to be provoked.
Of course, chief among the factors of a successful mobilisation must the "silent work" of our dedicated webmaster who has been "at it" for so many days before the actual event. I pray that he will enjoy a long life and good health to continue his good work for the Malaysian Bar.
Stephen Tan Ban Cheng
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It is always difficult to capture moments of magic on paper.
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I am very proud of our courageous lady President. Although I wasn't there at the Walk, My spirit was with you all the way.
Ching Bee Geok
Sitiawan, Perak