Ex-Sabah CM Musa freed of 5 corruption charges

Free Malaysia Today | The High Court acquitted former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman of five counts of corruption amounting to US$12.8 million. He was represented by AmerBON’s Amer Hamzah Arshad and Joshua Tay, together with Francis Ng and Ragunath Kesavan.

Group offers to help Putrajaya draft and review human rights laws

Free Malaysia Today | The Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) has gathered a team of local and international experts, including our lawyers from AmerBON, to help Putrajaya review laws in five areas that concern human rights. The areas include freedom of assembly; freedom of expression and hate speech; anti-trafficking, anti-smuggling of people and modern slavery; nationality, statelessness and citizenship; and expanding civil society space for human rights organisations in Malaysia.

Rights group lists 4 amendments for Peaceful Assembly Act

Free Malaysia Today | There should be no need for consent or permission to organise assemblies in areas under local councils as these are public places. Edmund Bon Tai Soon noted that this was among other issues in the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 highlighted for amendment by experts.

Can (and should) Malaysia sue Indonesia over transboundary haze?

Malay Mail | A lawsuit against Indonesia at the International Court of Justice over open burning might not be feasible. Instead, lawyers call for a new law to hold companies and individuals accountable. Lawyer New Sin Yew urged Malaysia to enact a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to go after perpetrators responsible for haze pollution in the country.

Task force to study alternative to death penalty; ex-CJ to lead

Malaysiakini | The government has set up a special task force to study an alternative sentence to the mandatory death penalty. The special task force will be chaired by a former chief justice and its membership will include human rights lawyer Edmund Bon.

Politicians condemned for playing ‘civil service sabotage’ card

Malaysiakini | Edmund Bon criticised political leaders for using “civil service sabotage” as an excuse for delays in reform. Speaking on Malaysian regulations on freedom of speech and expression at the “Countering Hate Speech and Intolerance in Malaysia: Implementing the Rabat Plan of Action and UN Resolution 16/18” conference, Edmund also said that instead of legislating against hate speech, it is better to enact a “positive” law on freedom of expression

Court of Appeal allows former Sabah CM to get passport back

The Edge Markets | Former Sabah CM Musa Aman, who is facing 51 charges for receiving bribes and money laundering, has been allowed by the Court of Appeal to retrieve his passport to resume medical treatment overseas. This was disclosed by his lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad.

Musa gets back his passport for overseas medical treatment

Free Malaysia Today | The Court of Appeal allowed former Sabah CM Musa Aman’s bid to get his passport back temporarily to seek medical treatment overseas. Musa was represented by lawyers Ng Aik Guan and Amer Hamzah Arshad.

Apex court upholds union-busting findings against two banks

Malaysiakini | Following the decision by the director-general of industrial relations and subsequent rulings by the High Court in 2016 and the Court of Appeal in 2017, the Federal Court has upheld the findings that two banks “promoted” clerical staff to executives so that they would be excluded from the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). NUBE lawyer Edmund Bon said that this ground-breaking ruling would be applicable to all other sectors and industries.

Bank employees call for Bank Muamalat, Alliance Bank to be penalised for union-busting

Malay Mail | Following the decision by the director-general of industrial relations and subsequent rulings by the High Court in 2016 and the Court of Appeal in 2017, the Federal Court has upheld the findings that two banks “promoted” clerical staff to executives so that they would be excluded from the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). NUBE lawyer Edmund Bon said that this ground-breaking ruling would be applicable to all other sectors and industries.

Court ruling shows banks promote staff to erode union power, says NUBE

Free Malaysia Today | Following the decision by the director-general of industrial relations and subsequent rulings by the High Court in 2016 and the Court of Appeal in 2017, the Federal Court has upheld the findings that two banks “promoted” clerical staff to executives so that they would be excluded from the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). NUBE lawyer Edmund Bon said that this ground-breaking ruling would be applicable to all other sectors and industries.

Life, death, and the in between

New Naratif | As Malaysia back-pedalled on abolishing the death penalty, the possibility of wrongful convictions remain, as in the case of Mainthan Arumugam who is on death row. Amer Hamzah and Joshua Tay, who submitted Mainthan’s review application to the Federal Court, shared their views.

Sg Kim Kim pollution: Tyre factory director pleads not guilty

New Straits Times | A tyre processing factory director pleaded not guilty at the Johor Bahru Session Court to a charge under section 34B(1)(a) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, of conspiring to dump scheduled substances into Sungai Kim Kim. The prosecution did not offer bail but counsel Joshua Tay objected, saying another director was allowed bail.

Sg Kim Kim pollution: Another suspect charged

Malaysiakini | A non-executive director of a used tyre processing factory was charged with abetting three others to dispose scheduled wastes into Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang. Sim Wei Der pleaded not guilty and was represented by lawyer Joshua Tay.

Ex-Sabah CM Musa freed of 5 corruption charges

Free Malaysia Today | The High Court acquitted former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman of five counts of corruption amounting to US$12.8 million. He was represented by AmerBON’s Amer Hamzah Arshad and Joshua Tay, together with Francis Ng and Ragunath Kesavan.

Group offers to help Putrajaya draft and review human rights laws

Free Malaysia Today | The Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) has gathered a team of local and international experts, including our lawyers from AmerBON, to help Putrajaya review laws in five areas that concern human rights. The areas include freedom of assembly; freedom of expression and hate speech; anti-trafficking, anti-smuggling of people and modern slavery; nationality, statelessness and citizenship; and expanding civil society space for human rights organisations in Malaysia.

Rights group lists 4 amendments for Peaceful Assembly Act

Free Malaysia Today | There should be no need for consent or permission to organise assemblies in areas under local councils as these are public places. Edmund Bon Tai Soon noted that this was among other issues in the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 highlighted for amendment by experts.

Can (and should) Malaysia sue Indonesia over transboundary haze?

Malay Mail | A lawsuit against Indonesia at the International Court of Justice over open burning might not be feasible. Instead, lawyers call for a new law to hold companies and individuals accountable. Lawyer New Sin Yew urged Malaysia to enact a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to go after perpetrators responsible for haze pollution in the country.

Task force to study alternative to death penalty; ex-CJ to lead

Malaysiakini | The government has set up a special task force to study an alternative sentence to the mandatory death penalty. The special task force will be chaired by a former chief justice and its membership will include human rights lawyer Edmund Bon.

Politicians condemned for playing ‘civil service sabotage’ card

Malaysiakini | Edmund Bon criticised political leaders for using “civil service sabotage” as an excuse for delays in reform. Speaking on Malaysian regulations on freedom of speech and expression at the “Countering Hate Speech and Intolerance in Malaysia: Implementing the Rabat Plan of Action and UN Resolution 16/18” conference, Edmund also said that instead of legislating against hate speech, it is better to enact a “positive” law on freedom of expression

Court of Appeal allows former Sabah CM to get passport back

The Edge Markets | Former Sabah CM Musa Aman, who is facing 51 charges for receiving bribes and money laundering, has been allowed by the Court of Appeal to retrieve his passport to resume medical treatment overseas. This was disclosed by his lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad.

Apex court upholds union-busting findings against two banks

Malaysiakini | Following the decision by the director-general of industrial relations and subsequent rulings by the High Court in 2016 and the Court of Appeal in 2017, the Federal Court has upheld the findings that two banks “promoted” clerical staff to executives so that they would be excluded from the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). NUBE lawyer Edmund Bon said that this ground-breaking ruling would be applicable to all other sectors and industries.

Bank employees call for Bank Muamalat, Alliance Bank to be penalised for union-busting

Malay Mail | Following the decision by the director-general of industrial relations and subsequent rulings by the High Court in 2016 and the Court of Appeal in 2017, the Federal Court has upheld the findings that two banks “promoted” clerical staff to executives so that they would be excluded from the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). NUBE lawyer Edmund Bon said that this ground-breaking ruling would be applicable to all other sectors and industries.

Court ruling shows banks promote staff to erode union power, says NUBE

Free Malaysia Today | Following the decision by the director-general of industrial relations and subsequent rulings by the High Court in 2016 and the Court of Appeal in 2017, the Federal Court has upheld the findings that two banks “promoted” clerical staff to executives so that they would be excluded from the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE). NUBE lawyer Edmund Bon said that this ground-breaking ruling would be applicable to all other sectors and industries.

Life, death, and the in between

New Naratif | As Malaysia back-pedalled on abolishing the death penalty, the possibility of wrongful convictions remain, as in the case of Mainthan Arumugam who is on death row. Amer Hamzah and Joshua Tay, who submitted Mainthan’s review application to the Federal Court, shared their views.

Sg Kim Kim pollution: Tyre factory director pleads not guilty

New Straits Times | A tyre processing factory director pleaded not guilty at the Johor Bahru Session Court to a charge under section 34B(1)(a) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, of conspiring to dump scheduled substances into Sungai Kim Kim. The prosecution did not offer bail but counsel Joshua Tay objected, saying another director was allowed bail.

Sg Kim Kim pollution: Another suspect charged

Malaysiakini | A non-executive director of a used tyre processing factory was charged with abetting three others to dispose scheduled wastes into Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang. Sim Wei Der pleaded not guilty and was represented by lawyer Joshua Tay.