Malaysian Bar President Steven Thiru today responded to The Star’s report of touts in the legal business, saying that the three organisations were now working on various measures against touting, including distributing flyers to accused persons and members of the public, advising them against using touts.

Thiru urged the public to turn to the National Legal Aid Foundation, which provides legal assistance to all Malaysians at no cost.

“Insofar as hearings are concerned, any person whose income does not exceed RM36,000 per year is eligible to receive legal representation free of charge.”

The Star had previously reported that touts had started opening their own legal firms with the help of new lawyers who have just completed their chambering.

The touts, the report said, would hang around hospitals waiting for accident cases to be brought in and then seek out relatives of the victim for their legal firm to handle them.

“Touting is abhorrent to the legal profession and detrimental to public interest. The Malaysian Bar views touting seriously,” said Thiru in a statement today.

Bar members guilty of hiring touts, he said, violate Section 94(3)(h) of the Legal Profession Act 1976 and Rule 51 of the Legal Profession (Practice & Etiquette) Rules 1978, and can be subject to disciplinary action.

The Bar has lodged complaints with the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board against Bar members alleged to be involved in touting.

Touting has existed for many years. Sometimes, touts for lawyers approach families and offer to take up accident cases for free, taking a cut from the compensation offered when the cases are settled.