THE Malaysian Bar wants Putrajaya to give Covid-19 vaccination priority to members of the legal profession, including lawyers and judges.

Malaysian Bar president AG Kalidas said this was necessary as they have a major role to play in the dispensation of justice and the functioning of the economy.

He wants those in the legal profession, the judiciary, and the judicial and legal services to be vaccinated soon, in order to safeguard the rights of Malaysians during these tumultuous times.

He said that lawyers who provide legal representation to accused individuals who are brought in from prison or detention centres may face a higher risk of contracting the virus.

This is due to the living conditions of inmates, which may be a hotbed for transmission, he added.

He also noted that judges and judicial and legal officers also face a heightened risk of contracting the virus due to the front-facing nature of their jobs.

He said lawyers also work closely with other agencies such as Land Offices, Inland Revenue Board, Companies Commission of Malaysia and various government and local authorities, and have an indispensable role to play in the economy of the country.

“We must be able to carry out our duties and responsibilities unhindered by the constraints caused by the pandemic, in order to allow justice to be delivered swiftly and properly,” said Kalidas in a statement, adding that the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in Malaysia was deeply concerning.

He also said that the Malaysian Bar had previously written to the relevant government authorities in March this year to seek for early vaccination of lawyers, the judiciary and those in the judicial and legal services.

“The Malaysian Bar understands that addressing the pandemic is first and foremost a health and safety concern, however the impact of the pandemic has far wider ramifications.

“This presents a need to strengthen the effectiveness of the provision of justice in this ever-evolving social predicament,” he said.

Malaysia is presently in the second phase of its national immunisation programme involving senior citizens and those in the high-risk health categories.

Phase one of the programme, which started in February was for the front liners.

The rest of the population will be inoculated under phase three, which is set to start next month. – May 24, 2021.