Article contributed by Anusha Gopala Krishnan, Officer, Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee and photos by Mohd Fazli Rosman, Administrative Assistant, Bar Council
The Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee organised a public forum under the nationwide MyConstitution Campaign, in its quest to improve public awareness of the Federal Constitution and promote constitutionalism among Malaysians.
The public forum commenced at 9:00 am with Marcus Tan Kian Han, the master of ceremonies, inviting the Co–Chairperson of the Constitutional Law Committee, Roger Chan Weng Keng, to deliver the opening address.
The line–up of speakers for the forum was as follows:
(1) Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, Former International Islamic University Malaysia Law Professor; Columnist and Author;
(2) Shanmuga Kanesalingam, Member of the Bar; and
(3) Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Former Deputy Minister of Higher Education.
The forum was moderated by Surendra Ananth, member of the committee.
The speakers provided an overview on the history and spirit behind the Federal Constitution. They also shared their views on how the Federal Constitution impacts legislature and executive with regards to the lawmaking and policymaking processes. In addition, the speakers talked about the impact of the Federal Constitution on the daily lives of individuals.
After all the speakers had delivered their message, Marcus Tan invited the audience for a question–and–answer session. The panellists successfully held their own with their informative exchange of thoughts, and undoubtedly, the audience gained new perspectives on this issue.
In conclusion, the public forum was a success as most of the contentious issues pertaining to the Federal Constitution were addressed and discussed in great depth by the panellists.