In the attack, which took place in George Town, the lawyer was viciously attacked by two unknown assailants wielding metal rods, leaving him with serious injuries to the head and shin.
“The Malaysian Bar is shocked and angered by the recent, brutal assault of a member of the Penang Bar, which occurred on Oct 22 in broad daylight along Karpal Singh Drive.
“This premeditated ambush is not only an attack on the individual, but also an assault on the rule of law,” Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said in a statement.
He added that the Penang Bar committee has reported that the lawyer had no known personal disputes, so it was likely that the attack was “related to his role in upholding justice”.
Ezri called this an attack on all members of the legal profession and a direct challenge to the principles the Bar stood for.
“The Malaysian Bar strongly condemns this cowardly and reprehensible assault. Lawyers are officers of the court, committed to serving justice, and must be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence or intimidation,” he said.
He added that any grievance against a lawyer should be addressed through lawful channels, and not by resorting to barbaric acts of aggression.
Ezri called for the police and authorities to take immediate and decisive action to investigate the assault and ensure that justice was served.
Expressing his deepest sympathies to the victim and his family, Ezri also urged members of the Bar to remain vigilant at all times, especially when interacting with the public.
“Measures such as installing panic buttons in meeting rooms, notifying colleagues of meeting locations, and heightened security in high-emotion legal cases, would be helpful,” he said.
Police looking for motive
Meanwhile, police have opened an investigation into the assault case under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.
Timur Laut district police acting chief Lee Swee Sake said they are still trying to identify the motive for the attack on the 37-year-old male victim.
“We can confirm that it was not a robbery. We believe that the two men involved were hired by someone who is the mastermind behind the attack.
“We also suspect the car used by the attackers had a false registration number,” he said.
Lee urged anyone who witnessed or knows any information about the attack to come forward. He promised that their identity will be kept a secret.