Bar wants DPM to apologise
Published on: Sunday, December 11, 2016
Kuala Lumpur: The Bar Council is not involved in a plan to topple the government, Malaysian Bar president Steven Thiru said. Steven demanded an apology from Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for saying so, saying that the latter's allegation made during the Umno general assembly last week was false."The Malaysian Bar therefore demands that the Deputy Prime Minister immediately withdraw the impugned statement that falsely and unjustly implicates the Bar Council, and tender an unqualified apology. ADVERTISEMENT "It is wholly unfounded, and maligns the Bar Council without a shred of evidence," Steven said in a statement.The Bar Council is the decision-making body of the Malaysian Bar.He added that forming a task force to investigate the Bar was a waste of public resources."It is therefore a waste of valuable resources to require any task force to look into this groundless allegation against the Bar Council. Further, it would be reprehensible if the task force is used as a device to intimidate and undermine the Bar Council," he stressed.ADVERTISEMENT Conspiring with foreign parties to overthrow the government would also go against the Bar's principles, Steven said."The overthrow of our Government is antithetical to the Bar's raison d'être — to 'uphold the cause of justice without regard to its own interests or that of its members, uninfluenced by fear or favour', which includes preserving the rule of law, promoting good governance, protecting fundamental rights, upholding the independence of the Judiciary and strengthening the administration of justice," he explained.
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Last week, Zahid had claimed during his speech at the Umno general assembly that several organisations including the Bar Council received foreign funding to overthrow the government.The Home Minister added that Putrajaya would be forming a task force to probe these organisations which include polls reform group Bersih2.0 and Suaram among others.