Latest news with #EzriAbdulWahab
Malaysiakini
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
'No automatic carry-over for Bar EGM motions, fresh submissions needed'
The Malaysian Bar's key motions that were scheduled for debate at its aborted extraordinary general meeting (EGM) yesterday will not be automatically carried over to its next annual general meeting (AGM) in March. Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said any such motions must be resubmitted in line with the Legal Profession Act. 'Any attempt to table...
New Straits Times
3 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.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Malaysian Bar's EGM on judicial independence dissolves over lack of quorum
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — The Malaysian Bar's extraordinary general meeting (EGM), convened to debate urgent motions concerning judicial independence, was dissolved today after it failed to meet the required quorum of 500 members, The Star reported. 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.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Lawyers to debate two resolutions on judiciary at Bar EGM
The quorum for the EGM, to be held at Matrade Hall, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah at 10am on Saturday, is set at 500 members. KUALA LUMPUR : The Malaysian Bar will convene an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) this Saturday to debate two key motions concerning judicial independence in the country. One, titled 'Judicial Independence', will be tabled by Bar Council chairman Ezri Abdul Wahab. The second, 'Motion to hold the prime minister accountable for having allowed for the undermining of public confidence in the judiciary,' will be 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 — has garnered widespread support, seconded by 190 lawyers. Bar secretary Murshidah Mustafa circulated the motions to more than 24,000 lawyers practicing in Peninsular Malaysia. The quorum for the EGM, to be held at Matrade Hall, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah at 10am, is set at 500 members. This meeting follows significant developments in recent months. On March 15, the Bar unanimously passed two amended resolutions reaffirming its stance against any interference in the judiciary by the executive, legislature, or other unauthorised individuals. On July 1, Ezri called for the EGM, amid concerns over the lack of clarity surrounding 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 for a march in defence of the judiciary's integrity. Ezri then submitted a memorandum to Zamri Misman, the legal affairs department's director-general, who received it on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office. The memorandum called for the appointment of judicial leaders with demonstrable integrity and a track record of quality judgments, and for judicial vacancies to be filled swiftly to prevent delays in case hearings. Last Friday, the Chief Registrar's office announced that Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, 62, will be appointed Malaysia's new chief justice, succeeding Tengku Maimun. The announcement also said that Justice Abu Bakar Jais, 63, will head the Court of Appeal, while Justice Azizah Nawawi, 63, is set to become Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak. The statement added that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had, based on the prime minister's advice and after consulting the Conference of Rulers, consented to the appointments, in accordance with Article 122B of the Federal Constitution. All three judges will be sworn in and presented with their letters of appointment at Istana Negara on July 28.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Bar Council EGM dissolved after lack of quorum
Bar Council president Ezri Abdul Wahab said he is disappointed that the extraordinary general meeting had been dissolved as money was spent to organise it. 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. Lawyers waiting at Menara Matrade for the EGM before it was dissolved. 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.
