Malaysian Bar stands in solidarity with Palestinian counterpart

PUTRAJAYA - In a display of solidarity today, Malaysian Bar President Karen Cheah Yee Lynn declared unwavering support to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian Bar.

Amidst the harrowing challenges faced by the Palestinian people due to the brutal military actions by Israel, the Palestinian Bar has sought support from its Malaysian counterpart to foster a crucial alliance during these trying times.

"The Malaysian Bar wishes to hereby declare that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters at law in Palestine, to condemn the atrocities of genocide and war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.

"We wholly support the legal proceedings commenced by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)," she said when delivering her speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2024 at Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), here today.

Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

Cheah said the Malaysian Bar stands ready to render full assistance at the ICJ proceedings, by way of intervention if necessary, so that no country can use genocide as a defence or excuse to commit war crimes.

On a separate note, she also highlighted that during the 77th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar on March 18, 2023, a resolution was passed regarding the remuneration of judges and the establishment of a Judges’ Remuneration Commission.

"Recognising that there has been no revision to the salaries of judges since 2015, we view the current state of affairs as unacceptable. As provided in the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Three Branches of Government, compensating judges appropriately is a necessary component of judicial independence,” she said.

Cheah added that an independent commission to periodically assess judicial compensation is the most promising approach to realising the sought-after goals of independence, objectivity, transparency, and consistency.

"This initiative would be advantageous for judges, those aspiring to a judicial role, and ultimately the general public. On April 2023, the Malaysian Bar submitted a copy of the resolution to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Minister in charge of Law and Institutional Reforms, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, and the Leader of the Opposition.

"The Malaysian Bar will continue to drive this initiative in 2024. We will continue striving for the benchmarks of attracting talent to the judiciary and maintaining talent within the judiciary while preserving the independence of the judiciary,” she added. - BERNAMA