Brothers and Sisters,
Many of us have expressed our views, comments and disgust on the bar website
pertaining to the
VK Lingam video.
The Bar Council has also announced that they will convene a special meeting tomorrow to discuss this sordid episode.
The outcome of the meeting as far as I am concerned will be predictable – the BC will issue a press statement; refer VK to the disciplinary board and convene an EGM and pass a resolution (for whatever it is worth).
But are these measures enough? If we are talking about any
other issue such as the 'rice bowl' issue, I may be contented with them.
However, the present issue which we are facing is something that is so serious
which would warrant some form of immediate and effective action to send a strong
message to the public and the world at large. This begs the question of what
else can we do?
I, for one, would call upon the members of the Bar to rally together and have a
peaceful demonstration at the Palace of Justice, asking for the Chief Justice to
be suspended pending an investigation on the matter.
If lawyers in Pakistan can rally to uphold the integrity of their judiciary, why can't the Malaysian lawyers do the same?
We should also march to the Istana and submit a memo to the Yang di–Pertuan Agong and the the Rulers calling for a Royal Commission to investigate this matter.
I know that there may be some of us who have reservations about having a peaceful demonstration. But my question to all of you is do we want to have a deathbed regret?
Let us not have the 'what if' thought when we are on our deathbeds, wondering if there was something else that we could have done other than merely attending the EGM and issue statement/comments.
If blood has to be shed, let it be for the cause of upholding the integrity of the judiciary.
If heads have to roll, let them be the heads of the culprits
that have brought eternal shame to our judiciary.
It would be a farce if all that we do is to just talk and discuss this matter
along the corridors of the court, warong kopi and in meetings (e.g. EGM)
and not take any serious action.
We can joke and laugh about the video and treat it like another episode of the VK Lingam chronicles.
We have had this kind of debates numerous times.
We condemn, and we criticise and then we go back to the comfort of our beds and sleep over it.
But I for one do not want to sleepover it anymore.
Enough is enough.
We are good when it comes to preaching on democracy and the right to peaceful assembly.
In fact, some of us are willing to even take up a test case for that right. But why are we so reluctant to have a peaceful demonstration to protest against such travesty ourselves? It is sad if the Council does not take the lead in this matter.
Do not let someone else fight for our cause.
We have to stand up and fight for ourselves.
It is either we keep our mouths shut or do something about it (and by doing
something I do not mean merely having an EGM or issuing statements).
We have to take action and the time is now.
It is now or never and to quote Malcolm X, "by any means necessary"!