Malaysian Bar's EGM on judicial independence dissolves over lack of quorum
Only 309 lawyers from the Peninsula — out of more than 24,000 members — turned up for the session, prompting the EGM's automatic dissolution under the Bar's rules.
Bar Council president Ezri Abdul Wahab expressed disappointment over the outcome.
'We are disappointed as every EGM requires financial resources, and we aimed to address urgent issues on judicial independence,' he reportedly said.
The Bar had intended to table and debate three motions, including one titled 'Judicial Independence' led by Ezri himself, and another that sought to 'hold the prime minister accountable for undermining public confidence in the judiciary,' proposed by senior lawyers Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Surendra Ananth. A third motion focused on implementing fair minimum remuneration for pupils, raised by Goh Cia Yee and Vince Tan.
Despite the dissolution, Ezri said the council would rely on a resolution passed during its annual general meeting in May, which empowers the leadership to act in defence of the judiciary.
'We will use the resolution to proceed with necessary actions. I cannot explain why members did not attend. We hoped younger lawyers would support the motion on remuneration for pupils, but that was not the case,' he told The Star.
He added that many issues had already been addressed by the council, which might explain the low turnout.
Bar Council vice-president Anand Raj said the lack of quorum should not be read as a sign of disinterest or distrust.
'It indicates our actions thus far have been sufficient and align with members' expectations. Those who attended wanted to contribute, but the majority have entrusted us with a broad mandate,' he said.
The EGM had been called earlier this month amid concern over the impending retirement of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who was nearing the mandatory retirement age of 66 at the time.
Despite Saturday's setback, the Bar Council indicated it will press ahead with its efforts to uphold judicial independence based on its existing mandate.
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