Malaysian lawyers defy police in rare protest march
Posted: 26 September 2007 1600 hrs

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PUTRAJAYA : Hundreds of Malaysian lawyers defied police Wednesday to stage a rare protest demanding a probe into allegations that a lawyer fixed judicial appointments with a senior judge.

Supporters, including members of the opposition Democratic Action Party and Keadilan, swelled the crowd to around 1,000 as the lawyers led the march in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

Police presence was heavy as the march began from the Palace of Justice, housing Malaysia's highest court, to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's office.

Malaysia's Bar Council plans to hand over a memorandum demanding a royal commission of inquiry into a video clip released a week ago by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The recording purportedly shows a well-connected lawyer telling a judge over the telephone that he would push his name forward for a senior appointment.

The protest went ahead despite the government's announcement Tuesday that a special independent panel had been set up to investigate the authenticity of the video recording.

Protesters chanted "We want justice" as they marched while holding placards stating "Judiciary has gone to the dogs" and "Judiciary has gone to the drain".

Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said of the inquiry: "It can only be the first step. They can't force the presentation of witnesses or documents."

She described the heavy security, which included anti-riot police and a police helicopter, as "an act of intimidation".

- AFP /ls