Malaysia lawyers hold rare demonstration for reform

By Jalil Hamid

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - About 800 Malaysian lawyers marched on the prime minister's office on Wednesday to demand reforms to the country's judiciary after a scandal erupted over claims of political meddling in the appointment of judges.

Lawyers in court attire of white shirts and black trousers set off in a noisy procession from the nearby Palace of Justice, an imposing new granite-and-marble court complex, and shouted "We want justice!" and "Save the judiciary!"

Riot police armed with batons and shields shadowed the march, which organisers described as the biggest protest ever staged by lawyers, as it moved towards the entrance of the prime minister's office. The building was guarded by a water cannon.

"It is a sad day for Malaysia, but a proud day for lawyers," said one demonstrator, Tan Ban Cheng, who had travelled for four hours by bus from the northern state of Penang to join the protest.

Last week, the opposition released a video purporting to show a senior lawyer boasting to a judge of his ability to influence appointments. It touched a nerve in the judiciary, whose reputation has been under question since the late 1980s.

The video was said to have been recorded in 2002, during the premiership of Mahathir Mohamad, who made constitutional changes to the powers of the judiciary in 1988 after some key court decisions went against the government.

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"We have concerns about the administration of justice," Ambiga Sreenevasan, president of Malaysia's Bar Council, told Reuters before leading the march behind banners that read "Stop the rot", "Clean up the judiciary" and "No to corruption".