The Kedah/Perlis Bar committee today unanimously passed a resolution at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) condemning the "arbitrary and unlawful arrests" of two of its members by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in separate incidents last month.

The EGM in Alor Setar, which deliberated on this single item, was attended by about 170 members.

When contacted, committee chairperson, Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, said the state Bar members were very concerned about the manner in which the ACA had made the arrests.

He said the arrests and detention of both lawyers were illegal and without any reasonable cause.

"Proper investigations were not done before the lawyers were arrested. Our members unanimously feel that the arrests had been done arbitrarily," said Vazeer Alam.

He said that the agency has abused its powers because the arrests were solely based on a baseless report made to the ACA by a complainant, and that it had failed to ascertain the truth and veracity of the complaint.

"Such incidents can prove costly for our members, particularly since they practise in small towns. We feel that to investigate only after making an arrest is wrong.

"(But) this is not to say that we condone any wrongdoing. But investigations should be done before any arrests are made, especially those involving professionals," he stressed.

Support anti-graft campaign

Vazeer Alam said that while the committee supports the government's anti-graft drive, it "condemns in the strongest terms" the arrests and detention of both the lawyers.

He declined to reveal the names of the lawyers pending the completion of the ACA probe.

"We demand that the ACA or such other authority conduct a full and independent probe to ascertain the ACA officers involved in this abuse of power and to take appropriate action against them.

"Our members are very alarmed over how such powers are being used even before determining reasonable evidence to support the arrests.

"We will make a representation to both the ACA director-general and the attorney-general to review the arrest procedures by ACA officers and to constrain the use of such powers," he said, adding both the lawyers in question were present at today's EGM.

Prove costly

He revealed, however, that one of the lawyers was arrested on March 8 in relation to a land matter while the other was arrested on March 23 following a complaint over client fees.

In the first case, the lawyer was arrested at a bank and handcuffed. He was also handcuffed when taken to court for a remand order.

In the second case, the ACA officers allegedly used "strong and abusive words" against the lawyer during the course of arrest and refused to state the reasons for the arrest.

Vazeer Alam said the resolution also called on the Bar Council, the profession's regulating body, to raise the issue with the ACA chief, the attorney-general, the legal affairs division in of the Prime Minister's Department and the Royal Commission on the Police Force.

The ACA could not be reached for comment.