Just like not all civil servants are lazy, and not all cops are bent and not all journalists can be bought, it is of no additional assurance that the Bar Council chairman says that not all lawyers are dishonest .

The issue is whether those who are dishonest are dealt with severely and promptly without hiding behind legal niceties and gobbledygook.

I fully sympathise with the chairman of Bar Council, I think they are trying their best. Some of the cases they have brought against lawyers have been overturned at the courts.

What I am concerned is that organisations such as the Bar Council, or the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) representing accountants or the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) representing doctors are in the first line of fire from the public.

I am saying this because we cannot bring action against doctors, accountants or lawyers without going through them first. This is preventing the small person from seeking quick justice. As it is now, the Bar Council takes months to resolves cases brought before its Disciplinary Board.

The avenues for redress should be open. Why not have a mechanism not unlike the Consumers Tribunal? Why not allow the public to seek justice at this tribunal and let the tribunal decide if the case warrants reference back to the respective professional bodies.

I do not agree that disciplinary matters involving professionals be dealt with internally by their respective bodies. Why the special treatment? Professionals should be willing to be judged by their non-peers as well.

In this respect, the Bar Council must be very careful not to lose sight of its present power and the dangers of losing it. The MIA governing council now has many members directly appointed by government, effectively diluting its grassroots influence.

Auditors must now get a licence from the government (after attending some silly interviews with a bunch of civil servants where apparently you are advised to wear a suit). The MMC's influence has long since waned and the doctors now only control mundane matters.

But the Bar Council is still is very much in control of their members and still retains the power to issue practicing certificates to them.

Therefore, I would advise the Bar Council to try its utmost to resolve matters close to the small man's heart before the government decides to step in and control them as well.