00:00Lawyers have expressed concern over elements of race and religion creeping into the Bar
00:06Council election campaign, saying it will compromise professionalism in the AUGUST
00:11body.
00:12They said it would defeat the Bar Council's opposition to discrimination of any sort.
00:17The comments arose after campaign material began circulating via WhatsApp, promoting
00:21the candidacy of 16 members, 15 Malays and one Chinese lawyer from Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
00:27The message also quoted a verse from the Quran which touched on Jews and Christians.
00:32Former Council Chief Kutubul Zaman Bukhari urged members to cease sending such messages,
00:38saying the Malaysian Bar has no colour, race, creed or religion.
00:42Lawyer Chan Keng Ho said this form of campaigning is unacceptable, urging voters to choose candidates
00:48they personally know to be decent or those with a good reputation, and not to vote according
00:53to menus or lists.
00:54Similarly, lawyer Esen Nair said the Bar was colourless and had no labels at its inception,
01:00adding that it is every lawyer's duty to uphold the standard and to not stray even an inch.
01:05The Malaysian Bar is in the midst of electing 16 members to the Bar Council, with lawyers
01:10having until November 30 to submit their marked ballots.
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