The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (Lawasia)  has noted the following statement in Malaysiakini :

"On possible street demonstrations by activist groups like Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (Lawasia), which was not happy with the court’s decision on Karpal's case, Arifin said there was nothing the judiciary could do about it."

While Lawasia respects Malaysiakini as a reliable news source, in this instance, this statement is wholly erroneous and without basis.

Lawasia has neither urged street demonstrations nor for participation in them and states unequivocally that how Malaysian citizens react to the court's decision is a matter solely for their choice.

Lawasia has expressed its disquiet about the undue haste with which the recent appeal in the matter of Anwar Ibrahim was concluded and its concern for the way in which the administration of justice and the rule of law in Malaysia will be perceived, both nationally and internationally, as a result of how this matter has played out.

It has equally expressed concern that the prosecutions both of Anwar Ibrahim and Karpal Singh under outmoded provisions in Malaysia's legal system bring into question the motivation for such actions.

However, a description of Lawasia as an activist group urging street demonstrations is entirely incorrect and we ask Malaysiakini to publish a correction to this factual inaccuracy.

ISOMI SUZUKI is the president of Lawasia, which is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Editor's note - Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria was responding to a question put forth by a journalist, who mentioned Lawasia.