It condemned the conflict and voiced its “grave concern” over the ongoing situation.

“We urge the Malaysian government to take further action to denounce these acts that run afoul of a modern society that abides by the rule of law.

“The Malaysian Bar supports the decision of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to begin investigations into Russia over possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” its president AG Kalidas said in a statement today.

He said Malaysia had already suffered at the hands of “state-sponsored terrorism” in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 by Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine in July 2014.

“We must do all we can to end violence against innocent parties,” he said.

MH17 was hit by a Russian-made BUK missile en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, killing 298 people on board, including 43 Malaysians.

Three Russians and a Ukrainian, all of whom remain at large, are on trial in Amsterdam over the shooting down of the passenger jet.

Last week, Malaysia joined 140 other countries in overwhelmingly voting to adopt a resolution at the UN General Assembly demanding that Russia immediately end its military operations in Ukraine.