THE MCA Legal Bureau is shocked at the arrest on the night of 7 May of five Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Centre lawyers who were present at the Brickfields district police station to assist those arrested for holding a vigil for Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat.
The five lawyers were merely discharging their duties and obligations as advocates and solicitors and should have been accorded every opportunity to do so without fear or favour. Instead they were arrested. This use and abuse of police power is a direct affront to the laws of the country, and must be condemned.
Moreover, lawyers must not be pressured by the authorities that if they represent or give advice to clients who do not agree with government policies or actions, that they will be penalised.
The MCA Legal Bureau calls on the police to respect the rule of law and accord all detainees their right to consult counsel of their choice. The MCA Legal Bureau further calls on the police to allow advocates and solicitors access to their clients and to facilitate the discharging of their duties and obligations without fear or favour at all times.
Datuk Leong Tang Chong
Chairperson
MCA Legal Bureau
8 May 2009
See also:
Police mockery of right to legal access
Eric says
It confirms again that those of us who expect MCA will struggle to defend democracy and Rule of Law are sadly mistaken.
Ritchie says
MCA, you are part of the corrupt Barisan Nasional regime, so don’t pretend that you give a hoot to citizens who express their freedom to voice against injustice.
elaine says
Nice words but say them to your sleeping partner on the same bed tonight. Divorce is a better choice – do you dare?
Aris says
Kudos! For once MCA talks sense.
mohd arshad raji says
DSAI had said that this nation of ours is now a police state. Actions by the police of late only confirms what DSAI had said. Look at how the police handled the Speaker of the Perak State Assembly.
BRADCRZ says
MCA, please don’t issue such statements. We know you all can’t defy your masters – Umno.
sam says
Datuk Leong,
You are only looking at the police abuse with one eye. Open both please and don’t pretend not to see the blatant police rape of the dignity of the Perak state Assembly.
Does your legal bureau not see any abuse of the law and mockery of the constitution by BN and the police?
Do you realise the ramifications of what they did? They (police and Umno) can enter our houses and abuse the sanctity of our family members and we can do nothing about it.
Pray tell me, who do you turn to when defenders of the law are the perpetrators?