Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Permohonan Anwar ketepi larangan berhimpun didengar semula (Utusan Malaysia Online - 28.7.2009)

KUALA LUMPUR 27 Julai - Permohonan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk mengetepikan perintah larangan berhimpun di pekarangan bangunan Parlimen pada Julai tahun lalu akan didengar semula dan diputuskan oleh Mahkamah Majistret.

Perintah tersebut dikeluarkan oleh Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman Mahkamah Tinggi di sini, Zainal Azman Ab. Aziz selepas membenarkan rayuan Anwar terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Majistret yang menolak permohonannya itu.

Dalam keputusannya hari ini, Zainal Azman menyatakan majistret telah terkhilaf semasa memutuskan bahawa permohonan Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) itu tidak perlu lagi didengar kerana telah menjadi akademik.

''Permohonan perayu (Anwar) telah dibuat sebelum tempoh luput perintah dalam masa tujuh hari, tetapi ia telah didengar selepas tempoh tujuh hari berakhir.

''Sama ada perintah itu masih hidup atau telah luput bukanlah suatu persoalan yang perlu didengar. Permohonan perayu telah dibuat secara teratur dan hendaklah diputuskan atas merit,'' kata Zainal Azman.

Anwar mengemukakan rayuan setelah tidak berpuas hati dengan keputusan Mahkamah Majistret pada 15 Disember tahun lepas yang membenarkan bantahan awal pendakwa raya dan menolak permohonannya untuk membatalkan atau mengetepikan perintah larangan itu.

Dalam rayuan tersebut, beliau menegaskan bahawa permohonan itu belum menjadi akademik dan masih boleh didengar dan diputuskan atas kepentingan awam.

Di samping itu, Anwar mencabar kuasa majistret untuk membatal atau mengubah sesuatu perintah yang dibuat di bawah Seksyen 98 Kanun Tatacara Jenayah.

Pada 18 Julai tahun lalu, Anwar mengemukakan permohonan untuk membatalkan perintah Mahkamah Majistret bertarikh 13 Julai 2008 yang melarang beliau dan penyokong pakatan pembangkang berhimpun di hadapan bangunan Parlimen.

Perintah larangan di bawah Seksyen 98 kanun itu dikeluarkan ekoran permohonan ex-parte (sebelah pihak) yang dikemukakan oleh Ketua Polis Daerah Sentul.

Perintah itu menyebut bahawa kecuali mendapat kebenaran polis, adalah menjadi kesalahan untuk sesiapa berada dalam lingkungan lima kilometer radius dari pekarangan bangunan Parlimen termasuk di kawasan Dataran Merdeka dan KLCC.

Perhimpunan pada 14 Julai tahun lalu itu dirancang untuk mengemukakan usul undi tidak percaya terhadap Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Bantahan awal pihak pendakwa pula dibuat dengan alasan tiada isu hidup yang perlu dibicarakan kerana perintah itu telah luput dengan sendirinya dalam masa tujuh hari dari tarikh ia dikeluarkan seperti diperuntukkan di bawah Seksyen 98(5) kanun tersebut.

Anwar diwakili peguam Lai Chee Hoe sementara pihak pendakwaan dikendalikan oleh Timbalan Pendakwa Raya, Noorin Badaruddin.

Upholding the cause of justice (The Star - 19.3.2009)


By JANET CHAI PEI YING

First formed to look into abolishing the ‘seven-year’ rule, the National Young Lawyers Committee of the Bar Council has since gone on to become the voice of the public.

A DOG ran into a butcher’s shop and grabbed a roast off the counter. Fortunately, the butcher recogni-sed the dog as belonging to his neighbour, who happened to be a lawyer.

Incensed at the theft, the butcher called up his neighbour and said: “Hey, if your dog stole a roast from my shop, would you be liable for the cost of the meat?”

The lawyer replied: “Of course, how much was the roast?”
“US$7.98 (RM29.35).”

A few days later the butcher received a cheque in the mail for US$7.98 (RM29.35). Attached to it was an invoice that read: Legal Consultation Service: US$150 (RM551.50).

The above is one of the many jokes (this one is considered as mild) on the Internet about lawyers.

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Young guns: (From left) Richard Wee, Roger Tan, HR Dipendra, Seira Sacha Abu Bakar, Lee Shih, Janet Chai, Kenny Lai, Fam Yu Min and Lai Chee Hoe posing after the Malaysian Bar’s annual meeting last Saturday.
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Lawyers are often portrayed as greedy people who are only out to enrich themselves from the miseries of others. This is really sad because the role of lawyers has often been misunderstood.
For us lawyers in peninsular Malaysia, the main object of the Malaysian Bar, as stated in section 42 of the Legal Profession Act, is to uphold the cause of justice without regard to its own interests or that of its members, uninfluenced by fear or favour.

This is one aspect of the legal profession which law students and young lawyers are constantly reminded of.

Today, of the 12,900 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, close to 40% or 5,500 are lawyers who have been in practice for not more than seven years.

Young lawyers should know that lawyering is not just about making money. It is also about undertaking the sacred duty of upholding justice without fear and favour.

This explains the importance of the role of the National Young Lawyers Committee of the Bar Council (NYLC), which plays a pivotal role not only in the affairs of the Bar, but also in our nation.

The NYLC was set up by the Malaysian Bar in the 1990s following a resolution at one of its annual general meetings.

At its inception, the primary focus was to abolish the “seven-year rule” in that lawyers who have less than seven years of practice at the Bar are prohibited from holding any position at the Bar Council and at their respective state bar committees.

The NYLC’s struggle saw success in 2006 when the Legal Profession Act was amended by abolishing this restriction, which then saw young lawyers of less than seven years of practice offering to serve the Malaysian Bar.

To date, the NYLC is pleased to announce that almost every State Bar Committee has at least one young lawyer representation.

This not only denotes that the young are interested and concerned, but their election also shows that their competence is recognised by the members of the Bar.

Over the years following its formation, the NYLC continued to look into issues surrounding the practice of the young lawyers at the Bar, one of which was the working conditions.

A nationwide survey was conducted which looked into the reasons for young lawyers leaving practice and, for some of them, the jurisdiction.

Forums were conducted at law conferences to look into the working conditions of young lawyers in other jurisdictions.

All these were done as it was recognised that this generation would be the future leaders of the Bar and society and it was therefore pertinent that the best were retained.

Over and above the interests of its young members, the NYLC has, on its own and, in joint efforts with other non-governmental organisations, provided a platform where views of the public on national issues were aired in its civil society initiative.

As part of its continuing civil society initiatives, this column, Putik Lada, was launched as an avenue to voice out the aspirations and views of the young. Putik Lada, since its inception, has discussed issues concerning the profession to issues surrounding the public.

None of the above could have been done without the efforts of the young lawyers who have served tirelessly on the NYLC, armed with much energy, and oratory and organising skills. Each member of the NYLC also possesses a unique and distinct character.

After the Malaysian Bar’s annual meeting last Saturday, a group of new NYLC members have taken over.

As a special tribute to the outgoing Chair of NYLC, Roger Tan, who has also retired from the Bar Council after four years of tireless service to the Bar, the NYLC members have this to say:
“Roger Tan is best known to the Malaysian Bar as the Webmaster, who single handedly set up the Malaysian Bar website (www.malaysianbar.org.my), which is now not only internationally known but which has also become a part of our lives today.

“There is so much to write about Roger that it is an almost impossible task, in view of the constraint of words, and considering his many achievements and contributions to the Malaysian Bar.

“In short, Roger is an inspiration and a role model to us young lawyers to be the best that we can be.”
The writer is a member of the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC). Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column: a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, please visit www.malaysianbar.org.my/nylc

“脚车闯半岛”16天 (Merkeka review - 18.12.2008)

作者/本刊曾薛霏 Dec 18, 2008 07:51:50 pm
本刊曾薛霏撰述】受压迫人民阵线(Jerit)的“脚车闯半岛,人民要改变”脚车队今天完成壮举,但从南到北逾百公里的路程中,脚车队员因多次遭警方以非法集会与利用儿童罪名逮捕,16天累积的警方口头保释书多达111份!

受压迫破人民阵线全国协调员莎拉丝华迪(M.Sarasvathy,左图)表示,在过去16天来,警方多番阻挠,北马和南马的脚车队员从各州警局累积的警方口头保释书多达111份,罪名包括参与非法集会和利用儿童;不过,这并没有浇熄脚车队员的决心。

她表示,脚车队成员是为了将人民的诉求带到全国而参与此计划,当中有些人家中更是经历相似情况才参与,例如没有最低薪金制的问题等。这是首次以骑脚车的方式将人民的期望带到国会,因为国会是立法机关。

社会主义党霹雳州和丰国会议员杰亚古玛(Jeyakumar Devaraj)在记者会上表示,警方限制人民行动的做法违反民主精神。今天,警方在国会部署至少80名警察阻拦脚车队,过去两周来也多番阻挠脚车队的行程,行动已过分了。

反观国会管理层和保安人员毫无阻挠,允许脚车队进入国会,还安排一间礼堂供受压迫人民阵线使用,任其布置,甚至安排午餐供130名队员享用。

杰亚古玛(右图)认为,警方应该保持开放的思想,正如国会管理层一样。

除了多番阻挠脚车队前进之外,其中一名参与者海伦玛丽(Helenmary Johnson)也向记者申诉,在霹雳州江沙警局外遭警方性骚扰。她透露,当时她正站在警局篱笆外接过朋友从警局内传出来的数码相机和摄录机,警方不但把数码相机和摄录机抢走,还从后面拉扯她,以致她两颗门牙飞脱,也遭警方袭胸。她较后已向警方投报。

学生接触不同阶层人士

杰亚古玛透露,在路途中,脚车队能接触不同阶层的人,如北马脚车队曾入住马来甘榜、原住民村落、宗教学校等,也有机会了解原住民和爱滋病醒觉运动团体交流。此外,他们几乎在每一站都面对警方的阻拦、逮捕和骚扰,他相信脚车队员数天来的经验使他们获益良多,比其他学生的假期生活更充实。

他也称赞,27名在雪州万挠被逮捕的18岁以下青少年,仍无惧地向父母要求完成他们的行程。

回应一些人谴责主办单位让学生参与此活动时,杰亚古玛表示,受压迫人民阵线不是不要让工人参与,只是工人们都无法请到长达两周的假期,参与此活动。

他认为,民主不只是投票而已,人民也需要监督他们的代议士,并时常提出建议、点子给代议士。

受压迫人民阵线全国协调员柯希拉(Kohila)认为,这次的“脚车闯半岛,人民要改变”最终在国会集合正符合了国会属于人民的精神。她说:“我们一路斗争才来到这里,让人民的声音得以在国会被听见。”

民主行动党国会领袖林吉祥也大赞脚车队员竭力将人民的诉求带到国会,他讽刺警方,若不是连日来阻挠和打压,这项活动不会受到如此大的报道。他也说,皇家警察委员会的报告中曾提出,警方必须改善三方面的运作:即减低罪案、肃贪及尊重人权。

人民公正党马樟区国会议员赛夫丁(Saifudin Nasution)代表国会在野党领袖安华依布拉欣发言时说,受压迫人民阵线提出的六项诉求中一项是提供舒适的住所给所有人民,他在下议院辩论时就提出,首相官邸租金是每年马币700万元,若这些钱能够善用,必定能使许多人民居者有其屋。

他也讽刺警方多次以非法集会的罪名对付脚车队,那政府应该停止举行浮罗交怡脚车比赛。他更调侃政府之前在油价暴涨时,叫人民改变生活方式,但是却不允许人民骑脚车。赛夫丁的发言惹来哄堂掌声。

这场运动终于在经过16天的折腾后完成,在大约两小时的致辞、呈交备忘录和午餐活动之中,大家带着愉快的心情离开,为自己完成了一项创举而感到骄傲。

马来西亚律师公会观察员赖志豪在受询时表示,今天的活动堪称顺利,除了一开始时第一名脚车骑士被截停以外,不过,在协商过后,警方也允许脚车骑士从国会大路的入口骑脚车到国会。过后他也没有接到任何其他的投诉。

買濾水機投訴無門 (China Press - 23.1.2009)

濾水機銷售公司售后服務差,客戶熱線也一直撥不通,消費者投訴無門。

⊙丘小姐3年前以6000令吉購買2架過濾水機,代理從沒解釋濾水機是否需要定期檢查或更換濾蕊,直至她今年初才收到短訊,提醒她更換濾蕊。

她致電銷售公司客戶熱線,詢問檢修服務但沒人接聽,偶爾有人接聽電話卻即時被蓋掉,聯絡公司總線也面對同樣問題,以致她迄今仍無法聯絡對方派人前來檢修。

“我在本週一曾成功聯絡其中一名負責人,對方答允派人為我檢修過濾水機,過后又不了了之,再也聯絡不上任何人。”

她有次幸運叩到客戶熱線,對方查出客戶服務記錄已有技術人員到我家檢查濾水機,這根本就是謊報,因不曾有人去她家。

她極度不滿濾水機售公司,宣傳廣告一流,服務卻是九流。

★《中國報》熱線多次聯絡濾水機客戶服務熱線和總公司,但沒人接聽。

賴志豪律師指出,消費者不滿意銷售公司服務,可向消費人仲裁庭投訴,惟一切需根據銷售條例為準。

他舉例,若銷售條例注明銷售公司需在客戶致電后的7天內,上門提供服務,但沒做到,消費者就可作出投訴。

他建議丘小姐向消費人仲裁庭投訴。

Majistret dengar semula permohonan Anwar batal larangan berhimpun (Berita Harian Online - 28.7.2009)

KUALA LUMPUR: Mahkamah Tinggi di sini, hari ini memerintahkan permohonan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk mengetepikan perintah larangan berhimpun di depan bangunan Parlimen, tahun lalu, didengar semula dan diputuskan di Mahkamah Majistret.
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Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman, Zainal Azman Ab Aziz, dalam keputusannya hari ini berkata, Majistret sudah khilaf ketika memutuskan sebelum ini bahawa permohonan bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu tidak perlu lagi didengar kerana sudah menjadi akademik.
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"Saya putuskan keputusan Majistret itu adalah khilaf, dan dengan itu permohonan perayu (Anwar) akan dihantar balik ke Mahkamah Majistret untuk didengar dan diputuskan," kata hakim Zainal Azman ketika membenarkan rayuan Anwar terhadap keputusan Majistret pada 15 Disember tahun lalu.
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Pada 13 Julai tahun lalu, Mahkamah Majistret sudah mengeluarkan perintah mengikut Seksyen 98 Kanun Acara Jenayah secara ex-parte kepada Ketua Polis Daerah Sentul bagi melarang Anwar dan penyokong pakatan pembangkang daripada mengadakan perhimpunan di depan bangunan Parlimen untuk mengusulkan undi tidak percaya terhadap Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Datuk Seri (kini Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
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Lima hari kemudian, Anwar mengemukakan notis permohonan untuk membatalkan atau mengetepikan perintah tersebut, yang sudah didengar di Mahkamah Majistret pada 15 Disember 2008.
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Ketika permohonan itu didengar pada 21 November 2008, pihak pendakwaan sudah mengemukakan bantahan awal atas alasan tiada isu hidup yang perlu dibicarakan kerana perintah itu sudah luput dengan sendirinya dalam masa tujuh hari dari tarikh ia dikeluarkan pada 13 Julai, 2008, seperti diperuntukkan menurut seksyen 98(5) kanun yang sama.
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Pada 15 Disember 2008, Mahkamah Majistret membenarkan bantahan awal pihak pendakwaan dan menolak permohonan Anwar untuk membatalkan atau mengetepikan perintah larangan itu. Anwar kemudian merayu terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Majistret ke Mahkamah Tinggi dengan menghujahkan bahawa permohonan itu belum menjadi akademik dan ia masih boleh didengar dan diputuskan atas kepentingan awam.
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"Dalam kes ini, permohonan perayu sudah dibuat sebelum tempoh luput perintah dalam masa tujuh hari, tetapi ia telah didengar selepas tempoh tujuh hari berakhir. Sama ada perintah itu masih hidup atau sudah luput bukanlah suatu persoalan yang perlu didengar.
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"Permohonan perayu yang sudah dibuat secara teratur hendaklah diputuskan atas merit," kata hakim Zainal Azman dalam keputusannya.
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Anwar diwakili peguam Lai Chee Hoe manakala pendakwaan dikendalikan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Noorin Badaruddin. - Bernama

Debate on Anwar’s restriction order (NST-28.7.2009)

KUALA LUMPUR: A restriction order preventing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat supporters from holding an assembly in front of Parliament House last year will debated at the magistrate’s court.
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High Court judicial commissioner Zainal Azman Ab Aziz yesterday allowed an appeal by Anwar to set aside the restriction order.
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He said the magistrate had erred when he decided that the court need not hear Anwar’s application as it had become academic.
The magistrate’s court had on July 13 last year granted an ex-parte order to the Sentul police chief which prohibiting Anwar and Pakatan’s supporters from holding the assembly to present a motion of no confidence against the then prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
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The assembly was scheduled for July 14.
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Anwar applied to set aside the order five days later on July 18 last year and it was heard on Dec 15 The prosecution raised a preliminary objection saying that Anwar’s application had become academic as the order had lapsed. It said the application ought to have been heard within seven days of the order being granted.
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The magistrate’s court allowed the prosecution’s objection and dismissed Anwar’s application on Dec 15.
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Anwar, 62, then appealed to the High Court on the ground that the application had not become academic and could still be heard in the public interest.
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In his judgment yesterday, Zainal Azman said the application was made within the seven-day period but was heard after the expiry of that period.
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“So whether or not the matter is still ‘alive’ is not the question. The application was made according to procedure and should be heard on its merit.” Anwar was represented by Lai Chee Hoe.
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Magistrate to hear Anwar's application on assembly ban (The Sun - 28.7.2009)

KUALA LUMPUR (July 27, 2009): The High Court here today ordered that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's application to set aside a prohibition order on assembling in front of the Parliament building be remitted to the magistrate's court for hearing and decision.
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Judicial Commissioner Zainal Azman Abdul Aziz held that the magistrate had erred in deciding that the former deputy prime minister's application need not be heard because it had become academic.
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He made the order after allowing Anwar's appeal against the magistrate's decision which was made on Dec 15 last year.
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On July 13 last year the magistrate's court issued an ex-parte order under Section 98 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) to the Sentul OCPD prohibiting Anwar and his supporters from assembling in front of the Parliament building to present a motion of no confidence against the then prime minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
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Five days later, Anwar filed an application to quash or set aside the order.
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On Nov 21 last year the prosecution raised a preliminary objection on ground that there was no live issue to be tried as the order had lapsed seven days after its issuance on July 13 last year, as provided for under section 98(5) of the CPC.
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On Dec 15 the magistrate's court allowed the preliminary objection and dismissed Anwar's application.
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Anwar then applealed to the High Court on the ground that the application had not become academic and could still be heard and decided on in the public interest.
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Zainal Azman, in his judgment said the application was made within the seven-day period but was heard after the expiry of that period, so whether or not the matter was still "live" was not the question.
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The application was in order and should be heard on its merit, he added. Anwar was represented by counsel Lai Chee Hoe while deputy public prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin appeared for the prosecution. -- Bernama
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Monday, July 27, 2009

Tian Chua’s trial postponed because of malfunction (The Star-23.2.2009)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malfunctioning air-conditioning and lights at the Magistrates Court here Monday caused the trial of PKR information chief Chua Tian Chang, who is charged with causing hurt to a policeman two years ago, to be postponed.

The problem started at 2.20pm and was not rectified when the case came up for hearing at 2.45pm after the lunch break.

With the court administration unable to say for sure when the problem could be rectified, Magistrate Faizi Che Abu decided to postpone the hearing.

“I understand some might not be comfortable in this situation,” he said before setting March 31 as the new date for the hearing.

Chua, better known as Tian Chua, 46, is alleged to have deliberately hurt the policeman at the entrance of Parliament here at 10.45pm on Dec 11, 2007.

The Member of Parliament for Batu is charged under Section 332 of the Penal Code which provides for jail up to three years or a fine or both, if convicted.

Before Faizi decided on the postponement, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff had told the court that the prosecution would call eight witnesses.

Tian Chua was represented by lawyer H.C. Lai. -- Bernama

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

律師慈善之夜-星洲日報-2009.07.05


吉隆坡律師公會青年律師委員會主席賴志豪(左3)呼吁出席者響應捐款。(圖:星洲日報)


吉隆坡)2009年吉隆坡律師公會青年律師委員會慈善之夜期六晚上(4日)在Capital Square Modesto´s舉行,律師公會為文良港NACSCOM老人院籌高達4萬令吉的義款。今次乃是律師公會第5次為這家老人院進行籌款。

平日在法庭上一臉嚴肅的律師前晚個個“大身”在慈善之夜上載歌載舞,大秀才藝,希望借助他們的落力演出,呼吁出席者踴躍捐款。

http://search.sinchew-i.com/node/364062?k=2009