MACC urged to explain why lawyer detained over strata property dispute

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has overstepped its jurisdiction in arresting a lawyer who was acting for a stratified property's management corporation in several civil suits, says Lawyers for Liberty (LFL).

In a press conference organised by LFL on Tuesday (June 11) morning, lawyer Lai Chee Hoe narrated how he was detained for three days from June 4 to 6 at MACC’s headquarters in Putrajaya, after he was initially brought in for questioning.

"When they first came to my office in Kuala Lumpur to question me on June 4, they did not inform me of the basis of their questioning but merely told me they were investigating committee members of a management corporation which were my clients.

"After being questioned and handing over documents related to their investigation, I was then given a notice to head to MACC Putrajaya for further questioning.

"After another few hours of questioning in Putrajaya, I was suddenly issued a notice of arrest at 9pm before being sent to a cell at midnight.

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"All this occurred while officers refused to inform me of the basis for my detention other than that they were investigating my clients," he said.

Lai was released on June 6 after posting bail of RM20,000, with several "conditions" attached to the bail, which were verbally conveyed to him by a MACC officer at the time.

According to Lai, one of the conditions was that he must not call for any press conference related to his client's issue and the MACC’s actions against him.

"I was also told by officers to withdraw from acting for my client. As of today, I am still acting for them," said Lai, the principal of Chee Hoe & Associates, a law firm known for its expertise in managing disputes under the Strata Management Act 2013.

He revealed that he had been engaged by his client since 2020 over a civil suit related to a strata dispute in Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, where some recent court orders were given in favour of his client earlier this year.

At no point did Lai ever become a member of the joint management body or the management corporation of the strata property in question.

LFL also revealed that another lawyer, Irwin Lo, had also been questioned by MACC over the same client despite Lo's case with the client having already been settled in the client's favour.

Lo was similarly asked to provide all documents related to his client’s case to MACC and spent several hours providing his statement at MACC Putrajaya.

"After being initially questioned by two officers for a few hours, a third officer then entered the interrogation room but refused to name himself when I asked.

"This officer took on a more confrontational and sarcastic tone as he questioned me.

"He then implied that I and other lawyers of the client were working 'for personal gain', before leaving,” he told reporters at the same press conference.

LFL director Zaid Malek said the conditions given to Lai for his release were a clear threat against him to get him to abandon his client.

"It is international law that lawyers should be able to execute their duties without fear of any intimidation or harassment from any governing body or agency,” he said, before demanding an immediate explanation from MACC as to why lawyers carrying out their official duties had been reprimanded and questioned.