In a rare event in recent years, the 12,000-odd Malaysian Bar members successfully obtained its 'oppressive and unfair' one-fifth quorum today to conduct its annual general meeting (AGM).

Today's quorum - fixed at 2,337 - was met after the AGM was delayed for an hour, awaiting the required number of members to turn up. Eventually, a total of 2,404 registered for today's AGM held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Although the quorum was met, the meeting hall however was half empty and only about 10 percent of those registered followed the five-hour meeting to the end.

Three motions were adopted and the top incumbent office-bearers retained their posts for a second term.

The three motions included an amended one on the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) in which the Malaysian Bar urges the government and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to urgently implement its formation.

The initial motion proposed by human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar was to urge the Malaysian Bar to initiate legal action to compel the government to form the IPCMC, an independent police watchdog that has been recommended by two royal commissions on the police.

Office bearers retained

Two other motions adopted called for the abolition of the death penalty and authorised the Bar Council to take all necessary action to pursue lawyer Raja Segaran's suits against the body for stopping it to conduct an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the conduct of judges.

Seven motions which were defeated including the motion of no-confidence against Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail for being slow in prosecuting criminal abuse of police powers and the abolition of the Legal Aid Scheme.

At a press conference later, Bar Council president Yeo Yang Poh said although the one-fifth Bar AGM's quorum was "oppressive and unfair", he commended the members for turning up and showing concern over the affairs of the Bar.

He reiterated that the council has sought the one-fifth AGM quorum to be reduced to 350 while the quorum to conduct an extraordinary general meeting to be set at 700.

Announcing the council line-up, Yeo said he was returned unopposed as the president together with Ambiga Screenevasan, Ragunath Kesavan and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera as vice-president, secretary and treasurer respectively.

Outlining their priorities for the year ahead, the president said the bar will push for the implementation of the IPCMC and the establishment of an independent judicial commission tasked to oversee the appointment or elevation of judges.

Asked why the no-confidence motion against the AG was defeated, Yeo replied: "The House does not agree that the problems be attributed to one person only as many things are in fact not even within his (AG) jurisdiction."

He however added that the Bar Council recognised that the abuse of police power exists and noted there have been "very few" prosecution against such cases.

Pursue legal action?

Meanwhile, Uthayakumar said he is considering to pursue legal action in his personal capacity to compel the government to form the IPCMC after his initial proposed motion was amended today.

"Some of the members have viewed that once we take legal action in court over the IPCMC, we will have to wait for the court's decision. However, I will speak to my lawyer whether to file this action," he told malaysiakini.

He also expressed disappointment that his no-confidence motion against the AG was defeated because certain members of the Malaysian Bar did not want to jeopardise their relationship with the AG.