Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz's remark that the government was still reviewing a discriminatory provision in the Legal Profession Act (LPA) drew flak in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Nazri, who is the de facto law minister, was responding to a question from Wong Nai Chee (BN-Kota Melaka) regarding section 46A which barred young lawyers and politicians from contesting in the Bar Council elections.

The minister reiterated a statement made a year ago that the government was still reviewing this section as well as the requirement for the Malaysian Bar to have a one-fifth quorum to hold its annual general meetings.

In his supplementary question, Wong - a lawyer by training - asked if the government would amend section 46A to allow MPs to run in the Bar Council elections.

He also asked the minister on the outcome of several meetings that Nazri had held with the Bar Council over the review of section 46A.

Policy shift

Replying, Nazri said: "This question (on section 46A) involved a policy shift and it was not the same as the quorum issue. We have to bring it to the cabinet to be discussed, so I cannot say whether the government agrees to it or not before it is raised and discussed in the cabinet."

Another politician-lawyer M Kula Segaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) joined in the fray.

"One year ago, the minister gave an undertaking in this House that he agreed to amend section 46A and it is more than a year now, the question now is why there is a delay? The minister must walk the talk," said the opposition MP.

He also asked the government's stand on the 'no-discount rule over conveyancing' for lawyers, which he noted was 'against the trend of globalisation'.

Responding, Nazri argued that the delay was because the government wanted a holistic revamp of the LPA, which he added, would be done in 'one-go' and not a 'piecemeal' fashion.

"We were talking about the quorum just now, then Kota Melaka (Wong) raised the issue of section 46A and before we can make any decision, Ipoh Barat (Kula Segaran) raised the no-discount rule.

"This shows there are many problems in the LPA, we cannot amend it because we feel one section has to be amended. We must make an overall amendment," he said.

Kula Segaran interjected and asked: "One year not enough?"

The minister replied: "One year is not enough because we have laws in this country, like today YB (Kula Segaran) raised the issue of discount which we have to look at how to resolve it. This is a new problem raised and thus we cannot the amend the law yet."