PETALING JAYA – The record-low number of voters in the latest Bar Council election shows that many lawyers are no longer interested in the council, claims Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Puad Zarkashi.
Only 15% of the 25,338 ballot papers for the 2026-2027 term were returned, marking the lowest turnout in five years.
Puad accused the Bar Council of being politically partisan, and even “more political” than certain political parties.
He further alleged that the council was selective in championing issues and ignored situations involving individuals it supposedly dislikes.
“The Bar Council is too selective about the issues they champion. They turn a blind eye if individuals they do not like are subject to an unfair trial,” he said in a Facebook post.
Puad also questioned why the council did not criticise the appointment of Tommy Thomas as attorney-general, which he claimed was influenced by politics.
Thomas was appointed attorney-general during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan administration but resigned after Mahathir stepped down following the government’s collapse in February 2020.
A book published by Thomas in 2021 led to police investigations and a special task force focusing on alleged misconduct involving the judiciary, exposure of government secrets, abuse of power, professional negligence, and possible seditious remarks.
According to one of the declassified findings, Thomas had wanted Mahathir “to do his bidding in a manner contrary to the law” when appointing three lawyers as Court of Appeal judges.
The task force also stated that Thomas had “powerful vested interests” in the appointment of judges, and that approaching Mahathir amounted to an “attempt to use political or executive influence” to push through the proposed appointments. – December 6, 2025