The March Is Now

The VK Lingam video clip confirms the rot in the judiciary. Of course we were all very ignorant of it but this rot set in almost 20 years ago i.e. the wrongful dismissal of Tun Salleh Abas as Lord President (the current position is renamed as the Chief Justice of Malaysia). Tun Salleh Abas was dismissed together with five others Supreme Court judges (two others were later reinstated). Even though the incident happened 20 years ago but it is still fresh in our memory. We studied constitutional law in law school and were given example of the Executive challenging the independence of the judiciary in the like of the 1988 judicial crisis.

Now, the judiciary face yet another scandal through the VK Lingam's video clip. The last was during our national convention involving unwritten judgement and this time it involved appointments of high judicial position but unscrupulous and irresponsible people claiming to be doing it in the interest of the PM and the country. That to my mind is a disgrace. Nothing but to their own selfish means and agendas. No wonder those people are rarely charged, convicted or drag into court because they know people in high places.

As Haris Ibrahim (a known Malaysian human rights lawyer) puts in "Every single cancerous cell that now eats away at the integrity of our judicial system must be removed". And the present administration does not have what it takes to set things right. As such, the task is for us to move through. This is where the Malaysian Bar needs your help.

First, on 26/9/2007, at 11.00 a.m., lawyers will march from the Palace of Justice to the PM’s office in Putrajaya to submit a memorandum to the cabinet calling for the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the rot that has set into the judiciary since 1988. This march is initiated by the Bar Council but all are welcome. All members of civil society, NGOs and NGIs are welcome to join the lawyers on the steps leading up to the Palace of Justice and to then proceed to the PM’s office. There are five buses chartered to ferry lawyers and those interested to join in the march from KL to Putrajaya. The buses will leave the Bar secretariat at 9.00 a.m. if you are driving to Putrajaya, by all means do so.