Got to Bukit Aman yesterday a little after noon to stand in solidarity with Amer.
The KL and Selangor Bar, collectively, have at least 7,000 members, if not more, I would think.
Yet lawyers who showed up yesterday to lend support for the protest numbered in the region of about 80.
100, at most.
“Why?”, I wondered.
A friend who was also there and with whom I shared a teh tarik last night offered a plausible reason.
She volunteered that the whole protest, right from the initial publicity, the efforts to meet with the IGP and dealing with the police on the ground at Bukit Aman yesterday appeared to have been handled by lawyers, yes, but lawyers affiliated with PKR.
“Why was the Bar Council not initiating and leading this protest?”, she asked.
I pointed out that the Bar president and other office bearers were there.
“Yes, but did it look like they were leading the protest?”, she retorted.
I had to concede that she had a point.
Was that why there were so few lawyers present to show solidarity with a fellow lawyer who had been manhandled by police as he attempted to do his duty by his client?
Had many lawyers in KL and Selangor perceived this to be a political party protest and chosen to stay away?
Or has nothing really changed at the KL and Selangor Bar?
The People's Parliament 
Check it out
April 1, 2010
The leaders of Bar council also want some Datukship / Tansriship jugak, bruder !
So they can’t go antagonize the power that be too much, you know?
And bruder, not all Lawyers have conscience, you know?
k1
April 1, 2010
as far as i know, these lawyers are all having good life and will not protest in public. only us, decent citizen will go to the front line.
wandererAUS
April 1, 2010
My observation of the Bar and Malaysian lawyers through the years, Malaysian lawyers just don’t have balls!…I was quite right in my comments in your previous post.
Your account of yesterday event pointed out one thing clearly, few lawyers were present to show solidarity with a fellow lawyer who had been manhandled by police as he attempted to do his duty by his client. Where is the spirit of co-operation among the lawyers…
Do they too have, Team A. Team B and Team C???
Dharm
April 1, 2010
Sorry to say this Brother Haris, but most Lawyers are just interested in making money rather than fighting for a cause – so even if it was a Bar organised event, how many lawyers do you think would have turned up? To be fair though, most Malaysians aren’t willing to stand up for a cause – working la, panas la, belum makan la, kena jaga anak la – even for such a simple thing as Earth Hour, how many took the trouble to turn off their lights? Not in the same league as standing up for another comrade but you get my drift…
N.Surendran
April 1, 2010
I was one of the main organisers of this event. When Haris’ friend says we are affiIiated with PKR, I presume she is referring to the fact that over the years I have worked closely and very publicly with PKR and its people on human rights issues.
The fight for Freedom in this country, has been a long hard fight, with no end yet in sight. And some of the most dedicated and selfless fighters in this cause have been PKR men & women, with whom I have had the great privilege to work with. They were Resolute at a time when the only thing one could expect from being in the opposition, was arrest, imprisonment and beatings. Some of the finest human beings I have met are in opposition politics. To suggest that it is somehow below us lawyers to associate ourselves with the likes of these people, is a slur I cannot let pass without remark.
In any event,how will joining hands with the political opposition in taking up a just cause, a cause such as Amer’s, prejudice the independence of the Bar? Surely, we must be judged by the quality of the cause we take up, and not by who we join hands with in taking it up. In the twisted rulebook of the Government,the Bar must not associate itself with the opposition, no matter what. Are we so many sheep that we must follow their odious self-serving rules?
Siebel
April 3, 2010
N. Surendran,
You have my highest respect for what you have doing and fighting for the right cause.
I am very impressed watching a video on the press conference you held for a single muslim mom who was shot 5 times by the uniformed thugs. I can see that you exude sincerity in helping the poor single mom.
I also agree with you that the fight for freedom in Malaysia is a long meandering journey which has yet to see a flicker of light.
So, every citizen has to lend a hand. And, each can start by registering as a voter.
One question to you – why didn’t the single mum go to a BN MP for help? Let BN MPs do some work. See if they would move their butt. Rakyat in trouble should escalate their problems to BN MPs…make them work…let them proof their worth, if any.
Siebel
SAK
April 1, 2010
Why were you not there for our comrade Matthias Chang? After all PKR did not appear to have organised anything for the poor chap.I wonder if anyone else did. At least Amer did not have to go to prison. Regret that I too could not be there for him. Any idea if Mahathir was?
SAK,
Matthias who?
oettinger
April 3, 2010
chang min tat was the former supreme court judge. the latter since passed on.
matthias chang is a practising lawyer. he was a former political secretary to the 4th prime minister of this country.
there is a connection between chang min tat and also matthias chang – uncle and nephew.
the thing is chang min tat is well respected, not matthias chang. sorry to put it in blunt terms.
Chauncey Gardener
April 3, 2010
Is Matthias Chang a member of the Malaysian Bar ?
aca
April 1, 2010
haris,
the bar president welcome with open arms when Zaki was apponited as chief of thief.
what do you expect?
michaelloo
April 8, 2010
are you referring to Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who was honoured by the United States for her advocacy of women’s and human rights?
I would hardly think she’s puts up a facade and it’s a fraud. Right now she’s even fighting for the cause of the Orang asli from the legal aspect.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/13/nation/3472311&sec=nation
A Lawyer
April 2, 2010
Lawyers are supposed to uphold the cause of justice without regard to their own interests or that of their members, uninfluenced by fear or favour….BUT this is no longer the case in today’s Malaysia.
Just wonder whose fault?
sal
April 2, 2010
I came to be in solidarity with human rights defenders which includes lawyers of whatever persuasion, political or otherwise. Lawyers have always been pathetic when it comes to public protest. No worries there.
I don’t believe that all the lawyers who worked on the memo and those who came are all PKR sympathisers, members or affiliates.
However I do not think it useful to have mostly PKR politicians and PKR MPs a few of whom are lawyers to speak in numbers at the protest. As MPs they have their own communication channels and can hold their press conference separately and elsewhere.
I am very happy that Amer Hamzah who was flanked by PKR MPs earlier broke from this and spoke alone across the road thereafter, thanking those who came in support and reiterating the fundamental right of being represented and free from preventive detention laws which are in principle unconstitutional even if enacted by an Act of Parliament.
I was not interested in the speeches of the politicians and I think many were not. (Boo boo)
In fact when Amer spoke to the crowd, there was more interest in that and he was cheered on.
The PSM MPs who came had the sensitivity not to take the limelight for themselves. Bravo Comrades. Salute! This is because their struggle has always been at the grassroots : ) (Hooray, hooray)
sal,
Good to see you at the protest.
When are you buying me a teh tarik?
oA
April 2, 2010
.
Seems like lawyers affiliate with political parties have more spines compare to apolitical ones.
Cowardice deep inside.
.
anna brella
April 2, 2010
Perhaps the latter on those two ending questions?
Or perhaps it stems from that usual suspect classic double whammy of formal role confusion and obfuscation of principles emanating from the patently false and creative divides conveniently erected in one’s mind like the Emperor’s false/non-existent clothes and which we euphemistically call “Chinese walls”.
Smile.
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
Kohila
April 2, 2010
Dear Harris
Just a humble opinion. People who do not come to the protest will have hundred and one reasons under the sun to tell for not coming. But one reason to come is solidarity for comrade Amer. That is why all of us went to give him support as he is one of the human rights lawyer who is ever ready to defend human rights activists. If we are clear why we are going no matter what we will go. So what lawyers affliated to PKR organised it ? Before PKR also , they have been activists like Latheefa,Surendran and so on. I am quite sure they did not do this for PKR publicity but in solidarity for comrade Amer. So please do not put a political labelling for everything . Also, looks like the politicians and MPs have more solidarity with Amer then his fellow lawyers who find excuses not to come. Also to the politicians who were present, please do not take the limelight in other people’s programme. The example of PSM people is always good, where they are clear when they take leadership and when they are there for solidarity.
Littlebird
April 2, 2010
Call a gathering at any local bar and see more lawyers than the 100 who turned up.
Kongkor
April 2, 2010
Sad Pak Haris. It’s does not matter whether it is pro PKR or otherwise. The issue here is the protest against police brutality and high-handedness. If the lawyers don’t support their fellow lawyers, who can the ordinary layman turn to?
I am not a lawyer but was in support when I read about this in Loyar Burok about the memorandum thingy and even posted a link on my FB page. So to all lawyers, please stand up and be counted and don’t be a shame to your profession.
Hmm…did my MP Lim Lip Eng show up since he is also a lawyer?
latheefa koya
April 2, 2010
I am not sure about how the rest felt but I was very happy that about 150 people, mostly lawyers turned up for the event despite the fact that it was bloody hot, in such a short notice and on a working day.
But I believe some of the lawyers had gone home with mixed feelings about the protest – that it somehow became opposition led (or “hijacked”) and therefore “tainted”, a cheap political stunt and even unbecoming of lawyers to hold banners!
In what way? Just because the prominent participants happened to be affiliated with opposition parties? Throughout the protest, none of them spoke on “political” issues but as lawyers who are similarly concerned with rights to counsel, fair trial and preventive detention, abuse of police powers etc.
Although I was not at all surprised by such reactions but yet again disappointed that we have to explain and make sense to some our fellow members of the Bar as to what it means to protest and make a stand based on principles.
Even if they did speak for the opposition, what is the problem if the issues raised are relevant and based on principles? These objectors don’t seem to have a problem in trying to get government officials/ministers to come to their events including the launch of the MyConstitution campaign. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem if these officials can affect change but there should not be double standards just because they are opposition.
For those who did not attend the recent AGM, I have raised the question of the continuous breach of section 28A of the CPC and the denial of legal access of our clients. Unfortunately, there was no concrete answer as to what can be done. So when Amer was manhandled, what do you think we should have done? Another press statement, or just whine about it the cyberspace? I don’t think so.
I don’t know about you guys, but I think in the minds of many lawyers and others who turned up – we were there not just in solidarity with our comrade Amer, but for the people’s rights that have been violated. Hence, the words on the banner: PERTAHANKAN HAK GUAMAN RAKYAT – ARTIKEL 5 PERLEMBAGAAN.
After all wasn’t it the Bar Council’s own campaign to “merakyatkan” the constitution? Surely you can’t exclude the rakyat and politicians who are working with the rakyat?
I am glad that several Bar leaders like Ambiga, Ragunath, Edmund, Chee Wee, Andrew Khoo, George Varghese, Anand etc came and did not think that what we did were not in the best tradition of the Malaysian Bar.
For those who have failed to see the proud history of our profession, let me remind you that great revolutions and movements have been led by lawyers not because they were lawyers but because they chose to stand with the people. The people did not follow these lawyers because of their performances in courts nor because they spoke within the confines of air-conditioned halls. They walked with the people.
I shudder to think of how history would have turned out had the people including lawyers not followed Gandhi, Mandela, Obama (who are all lawyers by the way) but instead listened to these petty ideas of how lawyers should behave.
Check it out
April 2, 2010
Please do all of us a favor, leave Gandhi and Mandela alone !
The inclusion of Obama is a disgrace to the reputation of Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Mandela !
Siebel
April 3, 2010
Well done Latheefa!
Shakuntala
April 2, 2010
The presence of some prominent lawyers, who mention themselves in this blog (those we public so often hear of and see because of their humanitarian attitudes) who came out readily to present the memorandem and to support their colleague Mr. Amir,was enlightening in itself.
They did the Bar Council proud.
These are the brave and bold human rights lawyers together with others willing enough, usually, to challenge the unreasonable and unequal laws meted out by the arrogant and power crazy Malaysian Government.
Aided and abetted of course by the PDRM.
From that point of view the Bar Council was amply represented.
Well done, you few, you happy few….you band of brothers.
skchin
April 4, 2010
Sunday, April 04, 2010
The Sorrowful Mystery of Mahathir Mohamed – By George Soros
http://margeemar.blogspot.com/
Subject: The corruption of Mahathir: published by Bangkok Post
“……….The corruption of Mahathir: SOROS’ REPLY TO MAHATHIR – Adapted
from Bangkok Post (Not published locally)……”
anna brella
April 5, 2010
““Yes, but did it look like they were leading the protest?”, she retorted.”
That I think is the crux of the point being addressed here in this post from a neutral standpoint.
As derived from the principle of natural justice in R v Sussex Justices, Ex parte McCarthy ([1924]: Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done.
Especially in the objective estimation of neutral observers who have no vested interests in the matter in any way.
That powerful perspective of impression, of what something looks like rather than what something actually is sometimes far outweighs the more factual perspective. This is why all too often even good actions done by good people in support of a good cause, but done without understanding the underlying dynamics or using wrong communications, can backfire and result in unintended consequences that can actually harm the cause that is being supported/promoted.
Crystal clear unambiguous communication is the crucial key for (a) addressing and managing the risks from potential differences in views and conflicts of interests from clouding the clarity of intended messages and goals and (b) to ensure that impression fits with fact and enables the right message/correct meaning to get across to the target audience.
In any case, hat’s off to Mr Amer Hamzah and to his legal colleagues who stood up in support of him and more importantly, in support of the legal principle that was being attacked and which needed to be defended staunchly by (all in) the legal establishment. That is why, IMO, this protest had nothing to do with politics or the political establishment. And also why, given the current underlying dynamics – of a tainted Judiciary that appears to most to have clearly lost its independence and impartiality and which now stands accused of alleged collusion with the Executive post Lingamgate – it was important for this protest to be seen as having nothing to do with the political establishment.
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
hurricaneMax
April 5, 2010
100? 150supporters? out of 7000members(?) to support an abused member of the same bar? A noble profession for the world…a chicken but money making machine for malaysia.
SHAME on you absentee-lawyers…or can i boldly rebrand, Loyar Bo-Chup? which is probably the worst off-shoot of a loyar-buruk.
MALU only!