The Malaysian Bar will not rest as long as its independence is under threat, said its president Steven Thiru.

He was speaking outside their office in Kuala Lumpur last night, at a candlelight vigil attended by some 60 people.

"So long as our independence is at threat, we will not rest.

"We will take this fight to them, and we intend to win this fight.

"We will win this fight for a Malaysia governed by the rule of law and never by the rule by law," Thiru said in his closing speech at the end of the two-and-a-half hour vigil.

The independence of the Bar is a sacred principle, he added, which is recognised in any democracy.

"It is a historic, ancient principle to which there are no exceptions," he said.

'Lawyers may as well close shop'

The vigil was called following lawyer Matthias Chang's arrest under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).

Chang had accompanied his client Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who had also been arrested under Sosma, to lodge complaints against 1MDB overseas.

Thiru stressed the authorities cannot intimidate and harass lawyers acting for their clients.

"If they do that, then we do not have rule of law. We might as well just close shop and call this the rule by law.

"We (the Bar) will stand up for any lawyer who is acting for their client, when the independence of the Bar and the lawyer to act for their client is at risk.

"That is a guarantee that the Bar Council will give you. We will be there with you," he said.

The vigil, which started at 7.30pm, saw only a handful of people at first, but the crowd grew steadily after 8pm.

Stop intimidation of lawyers

Candles and bottles of drinking water were handed out to those who were there.

Banners which read 'Respect the Independence of the Bar' and 'Malaysian Bar without fear or favour' were unfurled and hung up.

Quite a number of people were holding up signs and placards, among which said 'Lawyering is not a crime', 'Release Matthias Chang', 'Sosma is ISA-lite' and 'Stop misuse of Sosma'.

The LED signboard on the side of the building was changed to say ‘Respect independence of the Bar, the Bar condemns intimidation of lawyers acting for clients…’

There was a light drizzle for a short while during the vigil, though no one was bothered by it.

The participants, which also included PKR vice-president Tian Chua and former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, seemed to be in good spirits throughout, chatting among themselves while holding lit candles.

Several cars passing by throughout the night also sounded their horns with the drivers showing a thumbs up for support.

Towards the end of the vigil, Thiru delivered his closing speech, after which the crowd gathered their things before dispersing.

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