Channel News Asia
For the second time in two months, the president of the Malaysian Bar has issued a strongly-worded statement against the unethical behaviour of some errant lawyers, warning that it will take to task those who have “breached the trust bestowed upon them by the public”.
“We condemn such actions in the strongest and most unequivocal terms,” Mr Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab said in a statement on Friday (Aug 16), referring to the Malaysian Bar’s stance against the dishonest and fraudulent conduct of some of its members.
The Malaysian Bar is a professional body tasked with regulating the legal profession in the country.
Mr Ezri’s statement came after the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said on Aug 13 that a total of 33 criminal breach of trust (CBT) cases involving lawyers were reported nationwide last year.
These cases resulted in losses of over RM33 million (US$7.4 million).
And Mr Ramli warned that the number of criminal cases involving such crimes is expected to increase, with more than RM20 million in losses having been recorded this year so far.
In 2022, 29 CBT cases involving lawyers were recorded amounting to losses of RM13 million, Bernama reported.
Mr Ezri in his statement on Friday however said that there appears to be an “alarming trend” that has unjustly diminished the role of lawyers in society.
“The focus is no longer on the significant contributions lawyers make to society, but rather on the misconduct of a few, which unfortunately casts a shadow on the entire profession,” he said.
Mr Ezri warned that the current economic landscape – together with the increasing societal pressures on the profession – has placed unprecedented challenges on lawyers across Malaysia.
“Moreover, the growing demand for discounts and the devaluation of legal services further exacerbates the challenges faced by lawyers today.
“This trend undermines the value of the critical work we do and threatens the sustainability of legal practices, particularly smaller firms and sole practitioners. Legal services are not a commodity that can be bargained; they are essential services that require specialised knowledge, skills, and a commitment to justice,” he said.
Referring to the 33 cases investigated by the police last year, Mr Ezri said that based on records, they included one case from Sarawak, 14 which involved people who are not members of the Malaysian Bar, as well as eight cases in which the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board (ASDB) had issued ordered against its members.
According to its website, the ASDB adjudicates complaints of professional misconduct by an advocate and solicitor or a pupil or a foreign lawyer registered under Section 40J of the Legal Profession Act 1976 in the country.
Mr Ezri added that since 2023, the Bar Council – which manages the affairs and executes the functions of the Malaysian Bar – had lodged six police reports against those impersonating lawyers or forging documents to carry out fraudulent and dishonest conduct.
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