The clash between Bar Council chairperson Mah Weng Kwai and senior lawyer Karpal Singh over the council's stand on a contempt of court action against a judge continued today with the latter accusing Mah of lacking courage to openly support the motion.

In his statement, Karpal said that Mah should have the courage and commitment to openly support lawyer Christopher Fernando's application to cite Justice S Augustine Paul for contempt.

The contempt proceeding was initiated over certain remarks made by the judge in the course of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim's corruption trial. The judge is alleged to have uttered the contemptuous statement in April 1999 in the absence of Fernando, one of Anwar's leading lawyers.

Karpal was referring to Mah's statement yesterday that the council, which represents about 10,000 lawyers, "wholly supports" Fernando's application but "it would not be proper for the council to be placed on court records" on its stand as it was not a party in the application.

Mah said the council was only holding a watching brief to enable it to brief members later on what transpired in court.

Mah was responding to an open letter by Karpal which questioned the council's stand on the matter and called for Mah's resignation for bringing disrepute to the Bar Council by not supporting the motion when it came up for hearing on Jan 18.

Karpal, in his Jan 22 letter, said Mah had expressed a different stand at the hearing than what the council had said before.

Karpal said when Fernando filed his application in 1999, the Bar Council, then headed by RR Chelvarajah had openly supported the application. Mah was the vice-chairman of the council then.

'No business'

In his statement today, Karpal said that Mah must have a short memory to have a different stand now as he was also present in court when Chelvarajah informed the court in 1999 of the council's support.

Karpal also said that Mah had no mandate from the council to offer any legal assistance for the judge on Jan 18.

"He should not wriggle out of the situation by now saying he had meant that the Bar Council could furnish names of counsel willing to act for the judge," said Karpal, referring to Mah's clarification on the matter yesterday.

The outspoken lawyer also said Mah had "no business" in suggesting that the council was prepared to offer its assistance for Justice Paul.

"The Bar Council is committed to defending its members, not those who are cited for alleged contemptuous criminal remarks against its members," he slammed.

The contempt proceeding continues on Feb 11.