On 16 April 2009, the President, Vice President and Treasurer of the Malaysian Bar paid a courtesy call on the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.
Mr. Ragunath Kesavan, Mr. Lim Chee Wee and Mr. Tony Woon congratulated the Minister on his appointment to the new Cabinet. During the hour-long meeting the Office Bearers and the Minister touched on a wide variety of issues including:
* Ancillary issues arising from the conversion of one spouse to Islam;
* The Minister’s support to ensure that the amendment to the Legal Profession Act is tabled in the June session of Parliament;
* The review and abolition of the ISA;
* The Bar Council proposal for the separation of the posts of Attorney General and Public Prosecutor;
* The Bar Council’s proposal on the setting up of a National Legal Aid Foundation;
* A request that the Biro Bantuan Guaman open an office in Temerloh;
* The Bar Council’s proposal to jointly promote Malaysia as a centre for international arbitration; and
* Government funding for the proposed Malaysian Law Conference in 2010.
Ragunath said that the Bar Council was prepared to work with the government to promote Malaysia as a centre for trade and commerce and concurrently also to promote Malaysia as a centre for Islamic Finance. Lim Chee Wee said that it would be good if we could package Malaysia as a venue for dispute resolution. He said that the ability and competence of members of the Malaysian legal profession is equivalent to if not better than their counterparts in neighboring countries. He added however that it is important that the necessary infrastructure exists in order to support the plan to promote Malaysia as a dispute resolution center in the region.
The Office Bearers emphasised to the Minister that Malaysia’s trade policy in promoting foreign investment did not sufficiently promote Malaysian lawyers. More should be done to point out that Malaysian lawyers were generally fluent in English and familiar with the common law, which is the basis of our law of contract and tort, which is widely used in international trade. There was general consensus that it would be good if more international arbitration work took place in Malaysia and that more efforts should be taken towards this end.
* Ancillary issues arising from the conversion of one spouse to Islam;
* The Minister’s support to ensure that the amendment to the Legal Profession Act is tabled in the June session of Parliament;
* The review and abolition of the ISA;
* The Bar Council proposal for the separation of the posts of Attorney General and Public Prosecutor;
* The Bar Council’s proposal on the setting up of a National Legal Aid Foundation;
* A request that the Biro Bantuan Guaman open an office in Temerloh;
* The Bar Council’s proposal to jointly promote Malaysia as a centre for international arbitration; and
* Government funding for the proposed Malaysian Law Conference in 2010.
Ragunath said that the Bar Council was prepared to work with the government to promote Malaysia as a centre for trade and commerce and concurrently also to promote Malaysia as a centre for Islamic Finance. Lim Chee Wee said that it would be good if we could package Malaysia as a venue for dispute resolution. He said that the ability and competence of members of the Malaysian legal profession is equivalent to if not better than their counterparts in neighboring countries. He added however that it is important that the necessary infrastructure exists in order to support the plan to promote Malaysia as a dispute resolution center in the region.
The Office Bearers emphasised to the Minister that Malaysia’s trade policy in promoting foreign investment did not sufficiently promote Malaysian lawyers. More should be done to point out that Malaysian lawyers were generally fluent in English and familiar with the common law, which is the basis of our law of contract and tort, which is widely used in international trade. There was general consensus that it would be good if more international arbitration work took place in Malaysia and that more efforts should be taken towards this end.
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