Latest news with #Ezri
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Malaysian Bar EGM dissolved over lack of quorum
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar's extraordinary general meeting (EGM), which was expected to address key issues on judicial independence, was dissolved after it failed to meet the required quorum, reports said. According to Free Malaysia Today, Bar Council president Ezri Abdul Wahab told reporters that only 309 members were present at the meeting held at Menara Matrade, well short of the 500 members required for the EGM to proceed. "I am disappointed (that it has been dissolved) because for each EGM we have to spend money," he was quoted as saying in the report. The EGM had been scheduled after calls emerged on July 1 to debate three motions. Two of them were focused on safeguarding judicial independence, while the third sought to push for a fairer minimum pay scale for chambering pupils. Ezri was set to table the motion titled "Judicial Independence". Another motion, aimed at holding the prime minister accountable for what was perceived as a blow to public confidence in the judiciary, had been jointly proposed by lawyers Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Surendra Ananth, and backed by four others. A separate motion advocating for fairer pupil remuneration, put forward by lawyers Goh Cia Yee and Vince Tan, had received notable support from within the legal fraternity, with 190 lawyers seconding it. "We felt the young lawyers wanted to speak up and that was why we organised the EGM," Ezri added, expressing hope that more junior members would have shown up. Former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas was among those who attended the meeting. Responding to a question on whether the poor turnout reflected declining confidence in the Malaysian Bar, its vice-president Anand Raj said, "The majority of members had entrusted us with the motion at the AGM in March. "That motion passed, and what has happened in the last few months reflects that." He was referring to the earlier decision by the Bar to mount a legal challenge against the Federal Territories Pardons Board over the reduced prison sentence for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the SRC International case. This is not the first time a Malaysian Bar meeting has had to be called off due to a failure to meet quorum requirements.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Malaysian Bar EGM dissolved due to lack of quorum
Published on: Saturday, July 26, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 26, 2025 By: Minderjeet Kaur, FMT Text Size: KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) has been dissolved due to a lack of quorum, Bar Council president Ezri Abdul Wahab said. He said 500 members were needed to convene the EGM but only 309 members turned up. 'I am disappointed (that it has been dissolved) because for each EGM we have to spend money,' he said at a press conference at Menara Matrade here this morning. The EGM had been called for on July 1 to debate two key motions concerning judicial independence in the country. One, titled 'Judicial independence', was supposed to be tabled by Ezri. The second, 'Motion to hold the prime minister accountable for having allowed for the undermining of public confidence in the judiciary,' was to have been jointly proposed by lawyers Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Surendra Ananth, with support from four others. A third motion, 'Implementing a fair rate of minimum remuneration for pupils', put forward by lawyers Goh Cia Yee and Vince Tan, had garnered widespread support and was seconded by 190 lawyers. Ezri said the young lawyers had been expected to attend, especially for the tabling of the third motion. 'We felt the young lawyers wanted to speak up and that was why we organised the EGM,' he said. Among the lawyers who had turned up for the EGM was former attorney-general Tommy Thomas. Asked if the lack of quorum was due to a lack of trust in the Malaysian Bar, its vice-president Anand Raj said those who attended wanted to hear the debate. 'The majority of members had entrusted us with the motion at the AGM in March. That motion passed, and what has happened in the last few months reflects that,' he said. He was referring to the motion for the Bar to file a legal challenge against the Federal Territories Pardons Board over the decision to halve former prime minister Najib Razak's jail sentence for his SRC International corruption conviction. This is not the first time that the lack of a quorum had led to Bar meetings being called off. In 2023, the Bar's annual general meeting (AGM) was called off when only 276 lawyers turned up. A quorum of 500 was needed for the AGM to proceed. This led to lawyer-activist Siti Kasim lashing out at 'lazy' lawyers, saying that there were 9,000 members in Kuala Lumpur alone. There are 24,000 Bar members in Peninsula Malaysia. - FMT * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Bar Council EGM on judicial independence dissolves due to lack of quorum
The Malaysian Bar's Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) was cancelled after failing to meet its 500-member quorum, as announced by President Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, July 26, 2025. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star The Malaysian Bar's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to debate two motions on judicial independence could not proceed after failing to gather a quorum of 500 lawyers on Saturday (July 26). Bar Council chairman Ezri Abdul Wahab said only 309 of the 24,000 members in the Peninsula attended, leading to the EGM's dissolution. "We are disappointed as every EGM requires financial resources, and we aimed to address urgent issues on judicial independence," said Ezri. This is not the first time a Bar Council EGM has dissolved due to a lack of quorum. Ezri said the Bar Council will use a resolution from the previous AGM in May, allowing the leadership to defend 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 added. Ezri believes many issues have been resolved, and members' aspirations have been addressed by the Bar Council. Bar Council Vice President Anand Raj said the quorum failure does not imply a lack of trust in the leadership. "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," said Anand. He noted that 1,600 lawyers participated in a recent walk for an independent judiciary on July 14. Former Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas and activist Siti Kasim were present at the event. Lawyer Vince Tan expressed frustration by saying that "500 of 24,000 lawyers could not turn up!" The first motion, titled "Judicial Independence", was to be mooted by chairman Ezri. The second motion, "Hold the prime minister accountable for undermining public confidence in the judiciary", was to be proposed by lawyers Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Surendra Ananth. A third motion, "Implementing a Fair Rate of Minimum Remuneration for Pupils", was by Goh Cia Yee and Vince Tan. On March 15, the Bar unanimously passed two amended resolutions reaffirming its stance against interference in the judiciary by the executive, legislature, or other unauthorised individuals. The EGM was called on July 1 amid concerns over the retirement of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who was set to reach the mandatory retirement age of 66. On July 14, a large group of lawyers gathered outside the Palace of Justice to march in defence of the judiciary's integrity. Ezri then submitted a memorandum to Zamri Misman, the legal affairs department's director-general, on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office. The memorandum called for appointing judicial leaders with integrity and a track record of quality judgments and for filling judicial vacancies swiftly to prevent delays in case hearings.
The Star
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Malaysian Bar hands memo on judicial independence to PMO
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Bar has delivered the memorandum on safeguarding judicial independence to the Prime Minister's Office, according to its president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab. Lawyers, including leading figures from the Malaysian Bar, staged a 'Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence' on Monday (July 14) afternoon, proceeding from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister's Office. The event was attended by members of the Bar, chambers and concerned members of the public, according to Ezri. ALSO READ: Crowd gathers for 'Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence' He said the memorandum was handed to Datuk Zamri Misman, the director-general of the Legal Affairs Division. 'Datuk Zamri was ready and waiting in the office earlier, and has acknowledged receipt of the memorandum,' he told a press conference here on Monday (July 14). 'We saw participation from members of the Bar and people in chambers and members of the public, all united in our call to address the pressing concerns regarding the independence of the judiciary, particularly the ongoing vacancies in the judiciary, the need for institutional continuity and a more transparent and accountable judicial appointment process.' ALSO READ: Malaysian Bar's walk aimed at defending judicial integrity, not about politics Ezri stressed that the walk's purpose was to uphold the independence of the judiciary, describing it as a prerequisite for a robust democratic system. He expressed concern over recent media and social media commentary, urging the government 'to resolve it as soon as possible'. Highlighting specific concerns raised in the memorandum, he pointed out the alarming judicial vacancies. 'Among the matters raised is the need to fill the existing vacancies in the judiciary… we were informed that some cases have been scheduled as far ahead as the year 2030, and this will disrupt the functioning of the courts and negatively affect clients,' he said. He confirmed that the memorandum will also be delivered to the Prime Minister.
New Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Chief justice's retirement: Malaysian Bar fears 'dangerous vacuum' in judiciary
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar has expressed deep concern over what it described as a "dangerous vacuum" and a "breakdown in governance" amid the lack of clarity surrounding the retirement of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, which is now just a day away. Malaysian Bar president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab said the government's continued silence on whether Tengku Maimun's tenure would be extended or a successor would be named was "indefensible" and risked damaging public confidence in the judiciary. "As of today, there has been no formal announcement of a successor or whether an extension is to be granted. "The position of the chief justice is not symbolic — it is central to the integrity, independence and functioning of the entire judicial system. "Leaving the post in uncertainty so close to the retirement date reflects a failure in institutional responsibility. "A breakdown in governance risks damaging public confidence in the judiciary and opens the door to speculation and unhealthy conjecture," he said in a statement today. Ezri said while the Malaysian Bar did not take positions on specific appointments or judicial extensions, it could not remain silent when institutional indecision threatened judicial independence. "What we are witnessing now is not an issue of lobbying or preference; it is an issue of urgency, transparency and the proper functioning of a constitutional democracy. "What is unfolding now is unprecedented. With less than 48 hours to go before the sitting chief justice retires, there is still no official word from the relevant authorities. "This vacuum, at the very apex of the judiciary, is as absurd as it is dangerous," he said, adding that in the absence of clarity, the public would speculate. The Bar also took note of remarks by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today warning against lobbying for judicial appointments and calling for the judiciary to be protected from politicisation. Ezri said the Bar fully supported the principle that judicial appointments must remain free from lobbying and external influence, but warned against conflating legitimate institutional concern with political interference. "Our call for clarity on the impending transition is made in good faith and in line with our duty to uphold institutional continuity and public confidence in the administration of justice. "At this critical juncture, what is required is clear leadership and timely, decisive action. "The Malaysian Bar calls on the authorities responsible to immediately announce the course of action — whether it be an extension or an appointment — in accordance with the Constitution and the Judicial Appointments Commission process. "There is a meaningful distinction between supporting or objecting to a particular person and calling out a systemic failure that may erode confidence in the rule of law." Ezri said judicial independence must not only be praised in speeches, but upheld through actions and decisions that inspire public trust. Tengku Maimun, the first woman to serve as chief justice, is due to retire tomorrow upon turning 66 — the mandatory retirement age for judges under the Constitution.
