Shocking and disturbing - that's how the Bar Council described it.

It said it was "appalled" over the Malaysiakini report that senior lawyer VK Lingam was caught on video apparently discussing judicial promotions purportedly with current Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim in 2002.

"Rumours and allegations of such machinations have been rife since the judicial crisis in 1988," said Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan in an immediate reaction.

"With the emergence of this video clip, the concerns expressed by various quarters in relation to the judiciary can no longer be swept aside.

Ambiga also called for immediate and urgent action to address the issues raised in the eight-minute edited clip, released this morning by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"A royal commission of inquiry into this matter and the affairs of the judiciary must be appointed. Nothing less will do," she said.

Emergency meeting on Friday

She also said that the council will call an emergency meeting on Friday to address the issue.

In the recorded conversation, Lingam is shown discussing the potential appointment of Ahmad Fairuz as the Chief Judge of Malaya and his promotion as the Chief Justice.

At the time, Ahmad Fairuz was the Chief Judge of Malaya, in charge of all High Court judges in Peninsular Malaysia.

Anwar said the recording proved that his appeals against his sodomy and abuse of power convictions were tainted and that he was denied a proper and fair trial.