A Lawyer's Diary (1)

Edmond is merely my acquaintance. Though we only greet each other by just raising our hands when we meet each other in court, I find so strongly against his arrest that I was prepared to set aside my works and attended court to lend my support . So are other lawyers, NGOs, and political figures.

I have not met the other detainees, yet I compliment their bravery, determination and commitment towards building a better nation, even at the expense of their personal liberty.

Their efforts always make me think : I am not prepared to sacrify to the extent they do. Yet the very minimal an individual like me should do is to lend unreserved support to a course that is dear to one's heart and fullfil one's conscience. This country needs no more civil activist leaders, it needs followers. It is the intergration of activist leaders and its followers that has the force to transform their aspiration to reality.

I saw other lawyers, plenty of them, all stayed at the foyer of the 2nd lagest court of justice in the world, awaiting to be notified as to which court they ought to storm into. The irony I felt was, within the vacinity of this 2nd lagest court of justice, a great injustice was about to perpetriate. An unbelieveable persecution through unfettered unchecked power of prosecution was to happened. After reading the charge, the AG was opposing the detainees' bail applications. After the Judge granted the bail, and the counsel proceeded to argue on the terms to be attached to the bail. The AG requested the Judge to impose an unprecedented (so he admitted that he had no precedent in support) that the accused do obey an order of Public Officer. I am glad the judge saw the nonsensical in this proposition and did not allow it. Imagine if it was so imposed, the detainee would no longer be able to exercise : (a) his constitutional rights to attend peaceful gathering; (b) his statutory duties as counsel members to protect Bar's property from unlawful invasion. A signal is therefore sent : Mr. Edmond and other detainees better be good boys (and girls) during this period (until they are acquitted), for otherwise, I would not be surprised if the Government would apply to revoke the bail, on account that they have repeatedly committing the charged offence. Even if this is not done, what would happen if these accused attend another gathering? they would be arrested, and charged again, and this time, AG has stronger reason to oppose bail. These activist leaders would be lock-up, and kept out of reach of rakyat.

Consitutional rights are doomed. Tyrant smiling his way. How can I convince myself to believe the good always prevail?

I told an Indian friend of mine, our parents' generation has condoned crime committed to civil liberty, and resulted the birth of tyrant. It is the do of people. Now is the time for our generation to undo a wrong, so that my son's generation would be proud to declare that his daddy's generation has done the needful to secure a save, secure and free nation for them.