KUALA LUMPUR - Hundreds of Malaysian Bar members gathered at Padang Merbok, here, today hoping the "Walk for Judicial Independence" will take place.
However, the plan for the crowd, who were donning suits and ties under the blazing sun, was cut short as police formed a human barricade to prevent them from continuing the judiciary walk.
Initially, the protestor demanded to hand over the memorandum in the Parliament but due to the restrictions by the police, Deputy law minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin came down to Padang Merbok to receive the memorandum on behalf of the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri.
In the memorandum, the group had listed four demands which were for the judiciary’s independence to be upheld, for the government to preserve the confidence of the public in our judicial system, to condemn the action of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and a possible legislative reform to set the parameters so that allegations against sitting judges can be done in a manner which does not erode judicial confidence.
The Malaysian Bar president Karen Cheah Yee Lynn voiced her frustration as to why the police had blocked them as they were only practising their rights as a Malaysian.
"We are doing the protest so that the allegations against the judges can be done in a manner that will not erode the judicial confidence," she told the crowd at Padang Merbok.
During the gathering, the crowd was heard chanting "Buka "Buka, Buka Jalan" and "Bebas, Bebas, Bebas Kehakiman" to the police to allow them to walk to the Parliament but the efforts were futile. The crowd could also be heard singing national anthem "Negaraku" and read "Rukun Negara" in unison.
Among the prominent figures spotted in the crowd were former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, former Malaysian Bar Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan and former Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat Tam Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.
Also spotted were Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Petaling Jaya member of Parliament Maria Chin, Ipoh Barat member of Parliament M Kulasegaran, Seputeh member of Parliament Teresa Kok Suh Sim and Segambut member of Parliament Hannah Yeoh.
The call for independence of judiciary was made following MACC’s probe against Nazlan was made following a report about an unexplained sum of more than RM1 million in his bank account.
Nazlan was the high court judge and had convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of abuse of power, corruption and money laundering.
Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has said the criticism of the judiciary has gone overboard.
The investigation papers have been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
The Bar had said constitutional procedures should be followed in the probe, contending that the Federal Constitution provides for complaints about alleged judicial misconduct to be handled in a manner that ensures continued public confidence in the judiciary.