Thursday, February 26, 2009

Article posted in Malaysia Kini Website

An article has published on Malaysia Kini website. i really hope it will arouse the attention of public. Thank you so much!!!

please view http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/99150


UUM law grads stuck in a limbo
ZL Feb 26, 09 4:49pm


The Bar Council and the Legal Profession Qualifying Board had sent a professional team to our university, University Utara Malaysia in October 2008 to determine whether our law students should be exempted from the CLP exam. However, what is the final decision made from this ‘long’ evaluation period?

Yes, the Bar Council had since clarified on the matter above but no constructive opinion was given. None of the relevant parties have give us a confirmative answer on when they will reveal the evaluation result.

So many explanations were given by the Bar Council and our university. The university keeps convincing us by saying that they have full confidence they will get the exemption. We have been told this ever since we entered the university in the year of 2004, our first semester in UUM.

They also said they will recognise us as lawyers when the first batch students graduated from UUM. Now, the third batch of law students are going to step out from the university. Nevertheless, they seem only to dismiss us with the same answer!

I’m as one of the UUM law graduates who is truly disappointed with Malaysia’s education system. It has been more than one year since our first batch of seniors graduated in January 2008. What have these responsible parties done during this period?

Struggling with political issues or welfare matters? Shouldn’t they attach importance to the future of the new generations especially undergraduates from local universities like us.

What I can see is that every party only passes the buck to another for example, by saying the power to exempt UUM law graduates from the CLP examination is vested with the Legal Profession Qualifying Board. However, can they do something to expedite this matter?

There are so many rumours from last year saying that a final decision will disclosed soon but when will it be? Why has the Legal Profession Qualifying Board never responded openly to our inquires and questions?

Some of the law courses offered in local universities themselves are not recognised by the government and the Bar Council. How then do parents today pass a motion of confidence in local universities? You can’t blame parents nowadays if they call into question the quality of local universities.

We are really in an awkward situation. Why do local universities offer such law courses as these if the degree recognition is not done from the beginning? I struggled for four years doing my law degree at UUM. Our average credit hours are 157 (exclusive of tutorial hours).

I can say UUM’s law course’s syllabus is no different from other universities. Our university is equipped with the international standard facilities like tutorial rooms, lecture halls, a library and a moot-court. So, why are we being left in limbo for so long?

We are in the middle of sea with nobody being able go ashore. Some of us are from low-income families. We had been studying so hard so that we can support our families when we graduate. However, I can’t see any future when the degree recognition from the Legal Profession Qualifying Board takes more than one year.

We can’t do our pupilage like others and don’t even talk of getting a professional job like a legal assistant. Some of us only work as tuition teachers, clerks in legal firm, salesmen and some are even unemployed.

Doesn’t it sound like a waste of one’s talent when one is equipped with legal knowledge like us? Please consider our situation. Give us an opportunity to prove that we are capable of practicing as an advocate and solicitor in the Malaysian legal profession.

We would be so grateful if you could make our dream come true.

Monday, February 23, 2009

The Power is vested in the Attorney-General, not the Bar Council


Contributed by Roger Tan

Sunday, 22 February 2009 01:16pm

©The Sunday Star (Used by permission)

WITH reference to the letter by WKL of Penang in The Star, February 19 (“UUM law grads still awaiting reply from Bar Council”), I wish to clarify on behalf of the Bar Council that the power to exempt Universiti Utara Malaysia law graduates from the Certificate of Legal Practice examination is vested with the Legal Profession Qualifying Board chaired by the Attorney-General, and not the Bar Council.On Aug 24, 2008, 10 senior legal practitioners, together with other evaluators from the Judiciary and the Attorney-General’s chambers, all appointed by the Board, visited Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok, Kedah, and then Multi-media University in Malacca on Sept 3, 2008, to determine if UUM and MMU law graduates should be exempt from the CLP examination.

We have already made our recommendations to the Board, and it is for the Board to decide.

ROGER TAN, Malaysian Bar Evaluation Team head, Kuala Lumpur.

http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/members_opinions_and_comments/the_power_is_vested_in_the_attorney_general_not_the_bar_council.html

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Comment

written by Stephen Tan Ban Cheng, Sunday, February 22 2009 09:19 pm

My dear Roger
Are you telling us that a Malaysian university whose establishment has been authorised by statute has actually conferred law degrees and therefore produced law graduates without the PRIOR permission of the authorities concerned? Isn't that a scandal of sorts? It's just like putting the cart before the horse. A course of action that our good old Tunku will describe as OTC or "otak tak centre"! But then again, what is such a scandals compared to others still evolving? And the good old Tunku is no longer with us.

Stephen Tan Ban Cheng

Thursday February 19, 2009

UUM law grads still awaiting reply from Bar Council

IN response to my letter last year “UUM law grads left in limbo” (The Star, Sept 10), the Bar Council on Sept 11 said the law degree awarded by Universiti Utara Malaysia was being evaluated by the council for the purpose of exemption from the Certificate of Legal Practice exam, and that a decision would be given within a few months from then.

In the meantime, UUM asserted that its degree was of the same standard as that of other universities and that it was confident of obtaining the exemption.

However, it is almost six months now and no further news has come from the council.

The students were offered places in the University by the Govern­ment. Therefore, it is obvious for one to expect that the exemption would be granted as is done for law graduates from other government universities.

The course was introduced six years ago. Since then, two batches have graduated while many others are still pursuing the four-year course. Many of the graduates and students are from the lower income families from kampongs, new villages and plantations. And they would be expected to get suitable jobs to support their families, especially during these hard times.

However, for the last two years, some of these graduates had to work as tuition teachers while waiting for an answer from the Bar Council.

It is very stressful for parents and their children, especially during times of economic and employment uncertainties. The delay is becoming quite unbearable.

I realise that, recently, the council is quite busy with the many subjects of national interest. I hope this matter involving the future of hundreds of young people has not been somehow overlooked.

WKL, Penang.