Below is the letter which was delivered to the Law Society of Singapore earlier today by several local lawyers. (Watch the video at the end of the letter.)
President
The Law Society of Singapore
39 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058673
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY – OUR CALLING
Dear Sir,
We congratulate you on your appointment as our new President.
Today we mark the Human Rights Day along with Lawyers and Bar Associations around the world that affectionately include the Malaysian Bar Council.
We record with dismay that Human Rights Day is a non-event to our Law Society. We earnestly hope that along with the Law Society’s major events like the Dinner and Dance, and Bench Bar Games, Human Rights Day will find its way into our calendar in the coming years.
On this day, we call upon the Law Society of Singapore to stand firmly on our mission to uphold the Rule of Law in maintaining a strong and independent Bar as contained in our mission statement published on our website.
It has been twenty years since the Legal Profession Act was amended by the state to muzzle the Law Society from commenting on existing and proposed legislation, unless its views were expressly solicited. This oppressive legislation not only stifles the Law Society from making an active contribution to the law making process but also takes away our vital role as a vanguard of rights of the people. It is time that we broke this 20 year silence in speaking up for our rights to speak up.
Given our close affiliation to the Malaysian Bar Council, we would like to urge the Law Society to stand in solidarity in their courageous fight for the rule of law in Malaysia and in this spirit denounce the recent arrest of the lawyers.
We therefore mark this Human Rights Day in calling upon the Law Society of Singapore to :
1. Campaign for the repeal of the section in the Legal Profession Act which prevents the Law Society from speaking on existing or proposed legislation;
2. Look into ways to strengthen the Independence of the Judiciary especially at the Subordinate Courts;
3. Set up a sub-committee on human rights under the Law Society and conduct human rights training for lawyers;
4. Submit an annual report on human rights violations in Singapore to the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association (IBA) and follow up on issues pertaining to the Rule of Law raised at the recent IBA 2007 Conference;
5. Establishment of a Judicial complaints mechanism in addressing complaints by lawyers and the public on any misbehaviour by Judges and Legal Officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
6. Urge the government to set up a National Human Rights Commission..
Yours faithfully,
M.Ravi
Chia Ti Lik
L.F. Violet Netto
*Picture from TODAY.
RH: A NOBLE EFFORT INDEED, BUT MORE SYMBOLISM THAN RESULTS. NOT THAT SYMBOLIC ACTS ARE UNIMPORTANT IN THE FACE OF ABSOLUTE POWER AND UNYIELDING UNREASON AND THE RULE OF THE GUN INSTEAD OF THE LAW. THERE IS HOPE YET BECAUSE WHEN LIE KY DIES, IT WILL ALL UNRAVEL AND UNRAVEL SO RAPIDLY THAT HE WILL NOT EVEN HAVE TIME TO RISE FROM HIS GRAVE AS HE PROMISED.
RH: How Law began
http://i-came-i-saw-i-wrote-it.blogspot.com/search/label/RH%3A%20How%20Law%20began
RH: : Philosophy of Law all wrong and how to put it right
http://i-came-i-saw-i-wrote-it.blogspot.com/search/label/RH%3A%20Philosophy%20of%20Law%20all%20wrong%20and%20how%20to%20put%20it%20right
RH: Why Law is a disreputable subject
http://i-came-i-saw-i-wrote-it.blogspot.com/search/label/RH%3A%20Why%20Law%20is%20a%20disreputable%20subject
RH: Father Figures and the Moses Complex
http://i-came-i-saw-i-wrote-it.blogspot.com/search/label/RH%3A%20Father%20Figures%20and%20the%20Moses%20Complex
It is a good petition, but then again unless we break the PAP’s 2/3 majority, it is difficult for the petition to go through given that the LSS’s wings are clipped
Human Rights Day are not marked solely by Bar Associations. Why push this issue solely to Law Society?
Since the proposed Asean Charter is going to provide for human rights, it could be timely for Singapore to set an example by establishing a National Human Rights Commission.
The LSS, however, might not be in the best position to take the lead.
Dear Smartalex,
Yes Human Rights Day should be marked by everyone, not just Bar Associations. And just how did you mark this Human Rights Day Mr. Smartalex? Not sitting at home behind a computer screen I hope!
Commendable effort from the 3 lawyers. When lawyers in Pakistan were arrested for protesting on the streets, their counterparts in U.S. rallied in Washington. Some of them even went to Pakistan and were arrested by the military regime.
If the lawyers in Singapore are courageous enough to act, or even voice more critical sentiments against the establishment, the middle class may just be motivated to add their voices…
are we under the rule of law or are we under the rule of money? it is like a chicken and egg debate, which comes first? well, i tend to believe, in most cases, the rule of money takes precedent over the rule of law. and why, you asked?you see, people who rule the laws are suppose to be righteous. righteous people should have nothing to hide or conceal. whatever that is conceal, lies in ‘darkness’. but the law is the beacon of ‘light’. darkness and light cannot coexist. the latter dispel the former. if the ‘light’ protects ‘darkness’, would it still be called ‘light’?
and thus the law is dignified. it has nothing to hide and there is no need to justify ‘concealment’?
but if the world conceal ‘darkness’ how dark would it be?
the rule of law must be ‘reborn’. it shouldn’t be overshadowed by the rule of money or become a SERVANT to it!
most lawyers will tell you, no money, forget about justice( pro bono is just crap). the rich can afford the ..ahem..best to represent them. so money buys justice?
No doubt the effort and courage is commendable but from the presentation angle, the video makes Ravi and Ti Lik look bad and the LSS guy look good.
It is encouraging that there are presently a recognition that human rights are issues, that cannot be swept under the carpet in the name of economic progress and political stability requirements, as witnessed by the Human Rights Day which even though it is a non celebrated or marked day by our Law Society , there are lawyers such as the petitioners here who are not interested just in seeing their pockets grow by doing those lucrative work but are prepared to stand up and render a voice to the better recognition of this marked day of significant importance before human rights are lost and/or deemed unimportant. To maintain is easier then resurrection unless one thinks he is Christ.
M Ravi has returned from his suspension on time so it seems and not a day earlier, to grip hold of this Day, glossed over as a non event to most Singaporeans and dismally by the Law Society too with lawyers as the last bastion of defence for the accused against the draconian powers of the State, espacially in criminal laws,and in the securing and ensuring of the rights of all to be entitled to be treated equally before the law in accordance of its own rules.
The LSS person look frightened, confused and plainly disinterested. I wonder why.
Is the intent of the 3 petitioners altruistic?
Is there no hidden agenda at all?
i really empressed to see this site i think this site will do me a alot, i seriuosly need a humman right lawyer from singapore. will be gald to see any that is good.
thanks
Nwankwo, am from nigeria.
I this there is a hidden agenda on this.
what’s human right, there are dishonest lawyers handling car accident n injury insurance claims. Out of the total insurance claims paid, 70% to himself and the rest to his client by telling them d amount paid (30%) is only much the insurance company can pay.
Too many lawyers are diehard believers in “LEE AND ODOUR” or are cloned into “KANGAROOS” spec ies serving the ZOODICIARY….
What to do ??
We always recieved news messages from Myanmar people, they are complainted about committees of temple and please see at below.
Thanks
Dear Sir and Madam,
We are Myanmar group in Malaysia; we lived in Malaysia over decade and always went to one of temple in Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur and we were very sad and regreting with the committees of temple because they are using our monks in wrong conception of Buddhist teaching or Buddhist rules. We came to temple to help our monks and respected of our religion.
That temple is president of name:Yip Kum Fook, that our monks said and he is invited our monks from Myanmar to in charge of that temple but without pay anything to our monks, added he and his not respecting of our monks and sometime he ordered of his people to collected item such as paper, mineral water etc. without inform any words to our monks. In our religious believed we can’t take anything of holy place, if we done we are sin.
In pervious, our monk said the committees always asked money from him, when our monks gave RM20,000.00 in cash on 2001 to the committees, then committees keep silent, later committees make problem with our monk again and cancelled of our monk Visa permit to stayed in Malaysia, then our monks( Sadayaw Nandiya) go to Australia and our monk not come that temple at long time. “Yip Kom Fook gave our monk notebook computer for to cover of that amount of money our monk said”
Many local people around temple said, now no more people come to this temple because committees is always make problem and we are heard from local people said: Yip Kum Fook ordered of his people to put fire of Hindu temple at Taman Daya, Kepong because he needed that place to make his business about many years ago. “Everybody known what he done for Hindu temple at Taman Daya, Kepong”
Last time also he invited police to arrest the monks at holy place(temple) and locked the temple without afraid and shameful of people because he believed committee is big and has more authority, also his son always say to people: this temple is belonging of his father. “This temple donated from public, we are work hard for this temple”
This temple the committees always changed the monks, now they change the new monk to in charge of temple, this new monk also complaint the bad things of committees because committees also wait for donation box only, they without help anything to our monks. And committees controlled of our monks not to talk more or complaint more, our monks lived there as slaver and afraid of committees members.
In new building where remaining of Buddha statue marble; we have renovation of Buddha statue because that Buddha statue is put very low, we lift to highest the committees don’t like and unhappy. In our country, anyone be able to come temple to worship the Buddha but in Malaysia is different temple controlling by committees.
We hope everyone preserve of Buddhist teachings, and please safety of our monks, not see only money as this of temple. When we asked some of our people ( Myanmar) and local people, the committees are very low of idea because is very narrow mind and without education of religions. And committees will not disturbing of our monks, monks are like our father to take care of Buddhism and temple is like our place of resolving of our problem.
Recently, our monk(Sadayaw Ashin Indaka original from Madalay, Myanmar) has been staying in this temple also unhappy because the committees are not pay anythings to him, he is working in hardly to advise people and we also unhappy and very sad when heard the bad news from our monks. Sometime the committees people came and shouting in the temple without have any reason and done what they need to do, our monk said, the committees of this temple don’t have Buddhist teachings in their mind, may be next time Buddhist can destroy.
From Myanmar Buddhist group in Malaysia but many word complaint by local Buddhist community in Malaysia. If anyone receive of this message(email), please forward or send to your friends to protection Buddhism in Malaysia.
.-March 10th, 2010 at 8:55 am