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The Malaysian Bar is shocked and angered by the recent, brutal assault on a member of the Penang Bar, which occurred on 22 October 2024 in broad daylight along Karpal Singh Drive. The lawyer was viciously attacked by two unknown assailants wielding metal rods, leaving the victim with serious injuries to the head and shin. This premeditated ambush is not only an attack on the individual, but also an assault on the rule of law.
The Penang Bar Committee has reported that the lawyer had no known personal disputes, making it highly likely that this attack was related to his role in upholding justice. If so, this is an attack on all members of the legal profession and a direct challenge to the principles we stand for.
The Malaysian Bar strongly condemns this cowardly and reprehensible assault. Lawyers are officers of the court, committed to serving justice, and must be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence or intimidation. Any grievance against a lawyer should be addressed through lawful channels, and not by resorting to barbaric acts of aggression. Such violence, targeting those who defend the rights of others, undermines the very foundation of our justice system.
We call on the police and authorities to take immediate and decisive action to investigate this incident fully, apprehend those responsible, and ensure that justice is served. We cannot allow such acts of violence to be treated with anything less than the utmost seriousness. The legal profession will not stand idly by while one of its members is brutally attacked without consequence.
To the public, we emphasise that lawyers are an integral part of the judicial process, and their safety and security must be ensured at all times. We urge all individuals, including our members, to remain vigilant in these challenging times, including interactions in personal residences or public spaces. Measures such as installing panic buttons in meeting rooms, notifying colleagues of meeting locations, and heightened security in high-emotion legal cases, would be helpful.
Rest assured, the Malaysian Bar will continue to press for swift justice in this matter, and we will not keep silent until those responsible are held accountable.
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the victim and his family, and we will continue to offer our full support as he recovers from this traumatic ordeal.
Mohamad Ezri b Abdul Wahab
President
Malaysian Bar
25 October 2024