Bar condemns brutal assault of lawyer in Penang

 

Malaysian Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said any grievance against a lawyer should be addressed through lawful channels and not by resorting to barbaric acts of aggression. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The Malaysian Bar has condemned the brutal assault of a lawyer in Penang last Tuesday.

In the attack, which took place in George Town, two unknown assailants wielding metal rods assaulted the lawyer, leaving him with serious injuries to the head and shin.

“The Malaysian Bar is shocked and angered by the recent, brutal assault of a member of the Penang Bar, which occurred on Oct 22 in broad daylight along Karpal Singh Drive.

“This premeditated ambush is not only an attack on the individual but also an assault on the rule of law,” Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said in a statement.

He added that the Penang Bar committee has reported that the lawyer had no known personal disputes, so it was likely that the attack was “related to his role in upholding justice”.

Ezri called this an attack on all members of the legal profession and a direct challenge to the principles the Bar stood for.

“The Malaysian Bar strongly condemns this cowardly and reprehensible assault. Lawyers are officers of the court, committed to serving justice, and must be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence or intimidation,” he said.

He added that any grievance against a lawyer should be addressed through lawful channels, and not by resorting to barbaric acts of aggression.

“Such violence, targeting those who defend the rights of others, undermines the very foundation of our justice system,” he said.

Ezri called for the police and authorities to take immediate and decisive action to investigate the assault and ensure that justice was served.

He also reminded the public that lawyers were an integral part of the judicial process and whose safety and security must be ensured at all times.

Expressing his deepest sympathies to the victim and his family, Ezri also urged members of the Bar to remain vigilant at all times, especially when interacting with the public.

“Measures such as installing panic buttons in meeting rooms, notifying colleagues of meeting locations, and heightened security in high-emotion legal cases, would be helpful,” he said. - FMT