MEMBERS of the Malaysian Bar might not be cheerleaders of the judiciary or the executive but they might come to the assistance if there are indications that the judiciary might be in danger.
Representing lawyers in the country, the Malaysian Bar wants the judiciary to function in the best possible manner without fear or favour.
The judiciary is looked upon as an institution of checks and balances especially when there is a need to balance the executive and the legislative.
There have been times that the Malaysian Bar had shown its displeasure towards both to the executive as well judiciary on some matters.
But the same time, the Malaysian Bar is like hawk flying high to monitor and articulate the concerns of the judiciary or any other democratic institutions that might be abused.
It is the duty of the Malaysian Bar to defend the judiciary when there are overt and covert attempts to subdue or compromise its role.
What the Malaysian Bar president Karen Cheah said about the abuse of the judiciary by the lawyers representing the former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was nothing out of the ordinary.
In short, the ever-vigilant Malaysian Bar was just pointing out that Najib’s lawyers tried their best to postpone the decision on Najib’s trial by using tactics like submitting new evidence and bringing new lawyers on board, even going to the extend of attempting to recuse the Chief Justice.
It was just that the Chief Justice had stood firm by dismissing the various forms of obnoxious representation from Najib through his lawyers.
It was clear from the onset of the trial in the Federal Court that Najib wanted his case to be postponed to an indefinite date in the future.
There was thinking in some sections of the UMNO circles that the postponement of the case would allow Najib to buy time until the next general election (GE15).
Thus, if BN wins GE15, then Najib’s court case and his earlier conviction would be rendered invalid.
Did the Najib side expect the concerned Malaysian public to sit through and tolerate how the judiciary was subjected to mockery and ridicule?
Asking for the admission of new evidence followed by the permission to postpone the case and the attempt to withdraw Najib’s legal representation were nothing but a total abuse of the judicial process by any normal standard of judgment.
It was just not the Malaysian Bar that came out to voice out the various attempts to discredit the judiciary –thousands of right-thinking Malaysians took to social media to criticise the court drama that involved Najib and his lawyers.
If Najib has such a grand standing among lawyers, maybe he should be initiating legal action against all those who took him and his lawyers to task.
It was reported that Najib’s lawyers are mulling legal action against Cheah for criticising them for the abuse of the judicial process, unprofessional conduct and most importantly trying to subvert the dispensation of justice.
Meanwhile, past Bar presidents have stepped up to throw their support behind Cheah.
Any right-thinking Bar president would have done what Cheah did, and she in turn was expected to do what she did which was to voice her protest against the lawyers’ shenanigans simply because the former prime minister was the person standing in the docks.
What makes Najib so special other than the fact that he was the disgraced former prime minister?
The country’s rot has to be stopped.
It is not just the duty of the Malaysian Bar, but the duty of every right-thinking and responsible Malaysians to protect and ensure the democratic institutions are cherished.
There is no reason why the judiciary should be subjected to ridicule to save a convict who happened to be the former prime minister.
There is one law for everybody without double-standards. – Aug 31, 2022
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: The Star
