‘Always read your file before going to court’
This piece of advice was given to me by my father before I commenced my pupillage. The longer version was along the following lines: Before you go to court, you …
23 Years at the Bar
I was called on 6 August 1999. Today I marks the completion of 23 full years in legal practice. I enter my 24th year in practice tomorrow. I always celebrate …
The Ayer Molek Case | Part Three
On 4 September 1995, the Bar Council issued a further statement: The Bar Council notes the comments attributed to Chief Justice Tan Sri Eusoff Chin in today’s newspapers. We would …
Recording Police Arrests or Raids is not an Offence
Hamzah Zainuddin, the Home Minister, was reported to have said that recording or live streaming the police carrying out arrests or raids was an offence pursuant to section 186 Penal …
Will you still come see me?
There is a good friend of mine whom I have regular late night conversations with on a regular basis. I moved his call many years ago. We have been friends …
The Ayer Molek Case | Part Two
Preface: Some time ago, some friends and I noticed there is no comprehensive account of our Malaysian legal history available. There is a void in our national consciousness about the …
Templates | Its Use and Abuse
A lawyer’s use of templates and precedents is often mocked. “All you do is copy and paste from the other agreements.” “You just use a previous application and change a …
The Ayer Molek Case | Part One
Preface: Some time ago, some friends and I noticed there is no comprehensive account of our Malaysian legal history available. There is a void in our national consciousness about the …
Rejigging the Legal Submission
Preparing for arguments for court is now an exercise in labouriousness. Let’s take an application. The court will fix a schedule for the exchange of affidavits on the first case …
Do I answer the Judge now or later?
During the course of our submission, the judge may interrupt us to pose a question. It may not be something we are addressing at that precise moment but at a …
Life Lessons in Stories for Children
I love fairy tales, folk tales and modern children’s picture books. There is much to love about and learn from them: the characters, the setting, the quaintness, the delightful stories …
Communicating in English
The English language has always been my primary and natural language. Whilst I can read, write and speak Malay with some fluency, the gulf in my command between the two …