Malaysian Bar president Karen Cheah.
PETALING JAYA: Following a scuffle at the Shah Alam High Court on Tuesday (June 21) morning, the Malaysian Bar says it will raise issues of safety concerns and personal space with the court administration.
Malaysian Bar president Karen Cheah said this was to prevent any untoward incidents in future.
"Moving forward, we will raise the issue of safety concerns and personal space of lawyers in court complexes with the administration so that measures and protocols can be implemented to avoid any (further) untoward incidents," she said in a statement.
Cheah was referring to an incident involving a lawyer and a photographer at the entrance of the High Court just before the judge's decision in the murder trial of Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan.
In the video, lawyer S. Suresh was seen pushing and shoving his way in, before emotions ran high and he was hit on the head with a camera by Utusan Malaysia photographer Zulfadhli Zaki.
Cheah said that regardless of what caused the scuffle, any attack against a lawyer is improper and unacceptable.
Cheah said the courts are where lawyers perform their duties and they should not be obstructed or harassed while doing their job.
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"Lawyers’ safety and peace of mind are of paramount importance as they move around within court complexes.
"While we appreciate that media personnel are also carrying out their work in trying to get the photos and the story, personal space and mobility of lawyers and those they represent should be respected.
"Pushing and shoving does nothing but create unnecessary chaos and misunderstanding," said Cheah.
Police reports were lodged by both Suresh and Zulfadhli at the Section 9 Shah Alam district police headquarters after the hearing ended. It was reported that they both made peace after that.
