KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar has called on the Inspector-General of Police to stop the harassment of lawyers who wanted to meet their clients.

Its president Lim Chee Wee cited a lawyer’s claim about an officer making references to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to threaten her.

He said Fadiah Nadwa Fikri claimed that when she finally gained access to her client at the Gombak District Police Headquarters in Selayang, the officers refused to let her speak with him in private.

“While she was asserting the right to do so, an officer stood near the window in the room, pointed at her and said threateningly more than once, “Jangan sampai jadi macam SPRM” (don’t let this be like the MACC case).”

Lim said the remark was presumably a reference to the deaths of a witness and a suspect, in separate incidents, at the MACC.

“Fadiah claimed that when she responded, ‘Are you intimidating me? Are you trying to push me out of the window?’ the police officer did not refute her.”

He said the blatant harassment was a grave incursion on the independence of the Bar and the freedom that a lawyer must have to advise and act for clients without fear or favour.

As officers of the court, Lim said any interference with their rights and duties was an affront to the dignity of the courts and the administration of justice.

Fadiah said the alleged incident had taken place on May 4 and she had made a statement to the Bar Council.

She said she had not lodged a police report as she was busy preparing the case papers for her client, one of the two Emergency Ordinance detainees whose family had been conned out of RM13,000 by a bogus cop for police bail.

At a press conference on May 5, Fadiah’s lawyer had given police 24 hours to arrest those responsible for criminal intimidation. They have yet to respond to her allegation.

By SHAILA KOSHY, Saturday May 14, 2011, The Star