PETALING JAYA: Local NGOs agreed with the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that Australia’s plan to send boat people to Malaysia could be illegal. High Commissioner Navi Pillay was quoted in the Australian media today as saying that the refugee swap would be against the law since Malaysia was not a…
SHAH ALAM, May 24 — The family of the late Mohamad Johari Abu Bakar has accused a government pathologist of failing to consult and inform them of the first post-mortem done on the 17-year-old on May 13. Dr Abdul Karim Tajuddin, a government pathologist in Hospital Serdang, conducted a post-mortem on the teenager after he…
PETALING JAYA: The right to legal representation while in police custody is as important as ensuring that the individuals and lawyers have a safe environment in which to meet. Malaysian Bar secretary Tony Woon said the initiative to have lawyers meet clients, who are in police custody, on the ground floor of police stations could…
A coalition of high-profile Malaysian lawyers and human rights groups have called on Australia to scrap its refugee exchange deal with Malaysia immediately. The groups, which include the Malaysian Bar Council and human rights organisation Suaram, accused Australia of trying to “outsource” its international obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention. They were due to meet…
Tan Tian Maw sits in an office on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, hands trembling in her lap, and describes how she was raped by two Malaysian policemen. Her voice is soft and barely audible above the dragon boat drummer practising outside. “She hasn’t had any trauma counselling,” her lawyer, Latheefa Koya, explains.…
Lawyers for Liberty is outraged though not at all surprised by High Court judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah in ruling that the prosecutors led by Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden have proven a prima facie case against Anwar Ibrahim and called for him to enter his defence. Let there be no doubt: the Anwar Ibrahim trial is a sham and has absolutely…
GOMBAK: A district police chief has come to the defence of his men, saying that a lawyer who claimed intimidation had misunderstood his officers’ intention. Gombak OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rahim Abdullah said the officers were merely trying to ensure the safety of Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and her client who was detained at the Gombak…
A tearful Salmah speaks to reporters outside the Damansara police station, May 15, 2011. — Pictures by Choo Choy May PETALING JAYA, May 15 — The family of Johari Abu Bakar have demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 17-year-old’s shooting, accusing the police today of giving inconsistent accounts of the incident. The…
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar has called on the Inspector-General of Police to stop the harassment of lawyers who wanted to meet their clients. Its president Lim Chee Wee cited a lawyer’s claim about an officer making references to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to threaten her. He said Fadiah Nadwa Fikri claimed that when…
Don’t repeat mistake, DBKL told PETALING JAYA: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S Arutchelvan called upon the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) not to demolish the houses in Ladang Bukit Jalil till the case is settled in court.This would ensure that the former estate residents do not suffer the same fate as the 2,000 villagers…
The Malaysian Bar is outraged to learn of the police’s recent coercive and strong-arm tactics, whereby police personnel threatened a Member of the Bar, and impeded her from executing her professional duties effectively. According to the lawyer, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, when she finally gained access to meet her client at the Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah…
We are surprised that on 11.5.2011, Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi claimed that ” the Malaysian judiciary is free from any criticism or accusation of bias or partiality “. In fact, it is a widely known fact that nothing can be further from the truth. The reputation of the Malaysian judiciary is at its lowest…
The Migration Working Group is deeply concerned to hear about the possibility of a bilateral agreement between Australia and Malaysia in which 800 asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia will be transferred to Malaysia for refugee status determination in return for Australia resettling 4,000 UNHCR-recognised refugees over 4 years. Australia, as a state party…
KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — More than Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard has been roasted by her countrymen and media over the recent deal to swap illegal immigrants in both countries whom nobody seems to want. Australian politicians have savaged their political foe since the agreement went public last…
Residents of the contested former Bukit Jalil Estate were deeply disappointed today when the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed today their injunction against Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). The injunction aimed at preventing DBKL from demolishing their homes before a full-hearing on the status of the residents is heard.Judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof ruled that there…