Lawyers ask Bar for help in getting day off to vote in hometowns

 

The Malaysian Bar has also been urged to request the judiciary to adjourn all cases on the eve of GE15, like it did for the ‘Walk for Judicial Independence’ event last June.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar should push law firms to give lawyers and staff a day off on Nov 18 to give them time to return to their hometowns to vote in the general election (GE15) the next day, say a group of young lawyers.

In a statement, the Young Lawyers Movement also urged the Bar to request the judiciary to adjourn all cases on the same date.

It said the Bar had made such a request to the judiciary to give way to the “Walk for Judicial Independence” event it organised last June, adding that GE15 should be a good enough reason to make a similar request.

The movement said that having Nov 18 off will allow lawyers and law firm staff enough time to return to their hometowns to vote in light of potentially heavy traffic on polling day itself.

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“We note that there may be some difficulty for office staff, young lawyers, or pupil-in-chambers to afford or arrange for travel to their respective hometowns given the short notice that has been given,” it said.

“As such, we call upon law firms to declare Nov 18 as a day off for staff travelling back to their hometowns and for their annual leave not to be deducted.”

The group also said it has set up a Telegram group to coordinate transport for lawyers who are going back to their hometowns for GE15 at https://t.me/+jSPjCmaGQ503NGU1. - FMT