KUALA LUMPUR – The Young Lawyers Movement (YLM) has urged the Malaysian Bar to not simply pay lip service to alleged unethical actions by two prominent lawyers, calling for further steps if necessary to rekindle trust in the justice system.
In a statement, YLM said that public perception towards the judiciary will likely diminish and that public trust in the Bar Council will erode in part due to the important role that one of the lawyers had played in the professional body.
Furthermore, YLM pointed out that instead of simply releasing a statement, the Bar should look into the allegations, and if necessary, take a step further by lodging a complaint of its own motion to the Disciplinary Board against the relevant lawyers, as allowed by Section 99(3) of the Legal Profession Act 1976.
“We believe that it is only with such action that faith in the Malaysian Bar can be guaranteed and the necessary trust in our justice system can be rekindled,” the group said.
On June 7, 2021, a police report was filed by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat against a prominent lawyer for allegedly bringing the judiciary into disrepute.
Malaysian Bar President AG Kalidas had condemned the alleged actions stating that the council will not tolerate “such unscrupulous and unethical behaviour”, and will leave the matter to the police to thoroughly investigate.
The Sarawak Report had published an article stating the names of two prominent lawyers that were allegedly involved, including the screenshots that formed the basis of the chief justice’s police report.
This is not the first time allegations concerning judicial impropriety have been made.
The Malaysian Bar had previously advocated for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into various controversies involving former lawyer Datuk V. K. Lingam, most notoriously his 2002 video clip boasting of illegally brokering judicial appointments.
“Just as the Malaysian Bar previously advocated for an (RCI) into the issue and commenced disciplinary proceedings against Lingam, and called for another RCI into Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer’s allegations, we believe a consistent approach must also be undertaken today.
“YLM calls on the Bar to continue its campaign for a wide RCI on the issue of judicial integrity and recommend reforms.
“We implore the relevant authorities to get to the bottom of this controversy and encourage the Malaysian Bar to go further in its actions to address these issues,” YLM said. – The Vibes, June 25, 2021
