©Bernama
(Used by permission)
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) –– The Bar Council is to convene an
extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Sept 20 at Wisma MCA to discuss
yesterday's detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) of blogger Raja
Petra Kamarudin, Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily
reporter Tan Hoon Cheng.
Its president, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, said today the meeting would also
discuss the government's issue of show–cause letters to three newspapers ––
The Sun, Sin Chew Daily and Suara Keadilan –– over reports
they had purportedly carried contrary to guidelines.
She said the Bar Council has set up a legal team comprising 25 state bar chairs
and state representatives around Malaysia, headed by council member Rajpal
Singh, to be on hand to assist in providing legal aid to the detainees.
"For the moment, our immediate response is to aid people in detention. That is
our first priority. Then, after the meeting on Saturday, if there is any plan or
suggestion we will look into that," she told a news conference at the Bar
Council premises, here.
She said the use of the ISA had created far more uneasiness and unhappiness
amongst right–thinking people in Malaysia.
"We have sufficient provisions in the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code
that allow for police investigation in these instances, such as sections 504 and
505 of the Penal Code.
"We have said it before and we will say it again. If there are perceived
offences, charge these people and give them their fundamental right to defend
themselves. Why are we afraid of giving them the right to defend themselves, we
can't understand it?" she said.
Ambiga said Malaysia sits on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council and
the government made pledges, including upholding the promotion and protection of
all human rights in order to be elected to this council in 2006.
"As a member of the council, it is incumbent upon the government to uphold these
pledges. The use of preventive detention laws like the ISA runs counter to those
pledges," she said.
At the same news conference, Bar Council past president Sulaiman Abdullah said
the use of the ISA is similar to using the nuclear bomb.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Liew Vui Keong said
there were sufficient grounds for the government to use the ISA on Raja Petra,
Kok and Tan.
Liew, who is Deputy International Trade and Industry Ministry, said he was
shocked when he heard the news of the detentions last night but after being
briefed on the reasons for the detention and listening to a statement from Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that the government would not take
such action without reason, he understood why the action was taken.
"I believe in this particular case there are sufficient reasons for the
government to act," he told reporters after officiating the 2008
Zhanjiang–Malaysia Trade & Economic Co–operation Seminar here.
He said the government decided to take action against those who stirred up
sensitive issues.
"We all have to be calm and not listen to any of the rumours that have been
spreading via the SMS (Short Messaging Service)," he said.
Change Password
Search the site
Member Login
Bar Council to convene emergency meeting over ISA detentions
13 Sep 2008 12:00 am