KUALA KANGSAR, May 12 — Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has revealed today the
government’s agreement to the formation of a new organisation for
lawyers. According to the Bernama Online report, the Minister in the
Prime Minister’s Department has stated that the idea for a new
organisation was mooted by a group of lawyers to represent their
profession, welfare, and legal interests.
While the Bar Council represents lawyers who are practicing the law,
the proposed new organisation will not limit its membership to
practising lawyers only, but extend to those who have qualification in
law such as lecturers.
Datuk Seri Nazri (picture) also took a swipe at the
Bar Council sighting complains he has received from the Council’s
members against the Council’s failure to protect their interests, and
for allegations of fraudulent practices. The Minister stressed that the
Bar Council should refrain from involving itself in politics: “I have
said that if the Bar Council wants to be involved in politics, please
register as a political party and the problem of the body would not have
arisen. It has 20,000 members and only 1,270 attended (yesterday’s
extraordinary general meeting). It did not represent the majority voice
of the lawyers.” He added that elections organised by the Bar Council
are monopolised by some members and are not systematic. The Bar Council
elections are carried out through a postal voting system.
Nazri dismissed the Bar Council’s demand for an apology from the Home
Minister and the Inspector-General of Police for the alleged police
brutality during the Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on April 28. The
demand was made in the Council’s extraordinary general meeting yesterday
which also resulted in 12 resolutions being passed.
The Minister told reporters that the government is carrying out its
own investigation of the Bersih 3.0 organiser, Datuk S. Ambiga over any
misconduct or contempt of court under the under the Peaceful Assembly
2011 Act.
On the withdrawal of the Election Offences Act (Amendment) Bill, he
said the move was taken with the agreement of the Election Commission,
the government and the opposition in which all parties concurred the
amendment process would be complicated. On April 19, the Dewan Rakyat
passed the bill after it was debated by members of Parliament for seven
hours.
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