Saturday, March 14, 2015

Malaysian Bar: First motion rejected, 11 more to be discussed

69th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar (14 Mar 2015) E-mail
Posted by Web Administrator   
Saturday, 14 March 2015 10:38pm
Contributed by Joane Sharmila, Editor, Bar Council, and photo by T Shan, Member, Perak Bar and Md Faizal Mahat, Senior Administrative Assistant, Bar Council
 
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A brief summary of the Malaysian Bar’s 69th Annual General Meeting (“AGM”), held on 14 Mar 2015 at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, follows below.   

The quorum of 500 Members was achieved at approximately 9:43 am, which was even before the AGM was scheduled to commence, at 10:00 am.  The Chairman, Christopher Leong (President, Malaysian Bar) called the meeting to order at 10:35 am, when about 1,200 Members had signed in, and many Members were still streaming into the venue.

Twelve 
motions had been proposed for consideration at the AGM.

After eight hours of intense discussion and occasionally heated debate, four resolutions were adopted:

(1) "Resolution to increase Building Fund levy from RM100 to RM250 per annum for a period of 15 years";
(2) Resolution regarding the Sedition Act 1948;
(3) "Resolution for the Provision of Legal Aid and Assistance to Workers"; and
(4) "Resolution on royal pardon and the death penalty".
 
A total of 1,906 Members registered their attendance at the AGM.  The AGM — the longest one in recent years — was adjourned at 6:34 pm. 

Malaysian Bar: First motion rejected, 11 more to be discussed

Malaysian Bar: First motion rejected, 11 more to be discussed
The Bar had proposed 12 motions to be mentioned at the 69th annual general meeting today.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar's 69th annual general meeting which began today, had its first motion rejected when it confirmed receiving an injunction to prevent it from discussing lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah over Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sodomy appeal at meeting today.

On Friday, High Court Judge Datuk Asmabi Mohamad granted Muhammad Shafee's ex-parte interim injunction restraining the Bar or its president, Christopher Leong or through their agents from allowing the motion to be put, discussed or adopted during the AGM or discussing on any matter relating to Muhammad Shafee's conduct in Anwar's criminal appeal in the Court of Appeal and Federal Court on March 14, or at any other date thereafter.

The judge also allowed Muhammad Shafee ex-parte interim injunction restraining lawyer Tommy Thomas and former Court of Appeal Judge Tan Sri V.C. George or through their agents from moving a motion titled 'Motion against Shafee Abdullah dated Feb 28, 2015' or substantively similar motion in the AGM or at any other later date.

The Bar had proposed 12 motions to be mentioned at the AGM. Here are the motions:

1. “Motion against Shafee Abdullah”, proposed by Tommy Thomas and seconded by V C George, dated 28 Feb 2015 (pages 3 to 5 of the attached bundle of motions);

2. “A Motion to call upon Mr Christopher Leong to retract the Press Release dated 11 February 2015 titled “Press Release: Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim: Prosecuted or Persecuted?” issued by him as President of the Malaysian Bar and to further call upon him to tender a Public Apology to the Judiciary in respect thereof for bringing the Judiciary into contempt and misleading the Malaysian public”, proposed by Faidhur Rahman Abdul Hadi and seconded by Aidil bin Khalid, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 6 to 8 of the attached bundle of motions);

3. Motion regarding the Sedition Act 1948, proposed by Ambiga Sreenevasan and seconded by Ragunath Kesavan, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 9 to 13 of the attached bundle of motions);

4. “A Motion to revoke the Resolution proposed by Christopher Leong, as Chairman of the Bar Council and on behalf of the Bar Council in relation to the Sedition Act 1948 passed and adopted by the Malaysian Bar at its Extraordinary General Meeting on 19 September 2014”, proposed by Faidhur Rahman Abdul Hadi and seconded by Nurrul Nadia binti Norrizan, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 14 to 15 of the attached bundle of motions);

5. “A motion to call upon the Malaysian Bar for transparency in respect of the election of the Bar Council members pursuant to sections 49, 50 and 51 of the Legal Profession Act 1976”, proposed by Hanif Abdul Rahman and seconded by Azril Mohd Amin, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 16 to 17 of the attached bundle of motions);

6. “Motion for the Provision of Legal Aid and Assistance to Workers”, proposed by Charles Hector Fernandez, dated 5 Mar 2015 (pages 18 to 19 of the attached bundle of motions);

7. “Motion on Royal Pardon and the Death Penalty”, proposed by Charles Hector Fernandez, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 20 to 21 of the attached bundle of motions);

8. Motion “regarding the Monopoly of the Provision of the Professional Indemnity Insurance by Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd (Underwritten by Pacific & Orient Insurance Co. Berhad)”, proposed by Steven Hoe and seconded by Vengetraman Manickam, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 22 to 25 of the attached bundle of motions);

9. “Motion on the Bar Council’s Proposed Legal Profession (Group Practice) Rules 2013”, proposed by Edmund Bon Tai Soon and seconded by Amer Hamzah bin Arshad, Foong Cheng Leong, Yudistra Darma Dorai, Abdul Rashid bin Ismail, Ong Yu Jian and Jamie Wong Siew Min, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 26 to 41 of the attached bundle of motions);

10. Motion “regarding the minimum standards and fair remuneration for Chambering Students / Pupils in Chambers”, proposed by Steven Hoe and seconded by Ashwin Kumar, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 42 to 45 of the attached bundle of motions);

11. “Motion on TPPA and ‘Investor-State Dispute Settlement’ (ISDS) Provisions”, proposed by Charles Hector Fernandez, dated 4 Mar 2015 (pages 46 to 48 of the attached bundle of motions); and

12. “Motion to increase Building Fund levy from RM100 to RM250 per annum for a period of 15 years”, proposed by Christopher Leong (Chairman, Bar Council), on behalf of the Bar Council, dated 6 Mar 2015 (pages 49 to 50 of the attached bundle of motions); and

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