No longer updating this Blog

Dear All,



Kindly note that we will no longer be updating this Blog. Kindly log on to our KL Bar Website (http://www.klbar.org.my/) for updates.



Follow us on twitter (twitter.com/klbar) and also on Facebook (KL Bar Facebook Group)




Kind Regards,


Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee
Tingkat 8, Wisma Kraftangan
No. 9 Jalan Tun Perak
50050 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2693 3585 (Hunting Line)
Fax: 603-2691 1090
E-mail: klbc@klbar.org.my
Website: www.klbar.org.my

EHC Old/Disused Paper Collection Week

In Conjunction with Earth Day

(18 to 22 April 2011)

The KL Bar Environmental and Humanities Committee (EHC) organised a five-day ‘Old/Disused Paper Collection’ event in conjunction with the Earth Day Celebration which, this year, fell on 22.04.2011.

This was the 3rd consecutive year that such an event had been organised by EHC. However this year it was nationally covered by the TV3’s Malaysia Hari Ini (MHI) on 20.04.2011.

The Deputy Chairperson, Puan NoorHajran Mohd Noor who appeared in the morning talk show, explained the importance and rationale of lawyers getting involved in the Earth’s Day celebration. She also touched on the history behind Earth Day, the dire consequences of uncontrolled carbon emission and why KL Bar Committee was taking the lead in the five-day ’Old/Disused Paper Collection’ initiative at the Secretariat. Noor had also suggested that the public were welcome to support the initiative, as the symbolism behind it is meaningful as to ensure quality living for all of Earth's inhabitants. In this connection, one proposal she would like people to think about is the possibility of enforcing a Minimum Packaging Act, which will go a long way for less wastage and a healthy environment.

The total collection of old/disused paper this year reached over 800kg with the main contributors being the KL Bar Secretariat, Skrine, Chan Weng Keng & Associates and Saha & Associates.

The KL Bar Secretariat also implemented the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) programme in its office in support of EHC’s efforts in calling for less waste.

The EHC would like to place on record its appreciation and thanks to all the lawyers and staff at the KL Bar Secretariat who helped out during the entire period of the event.

Contributed by

Roger Chan Weng Keng

Chairperson

Environmental and Humanities Committee

KL Bar Young Lawyers Committee Retreat 2011

Over the weekend of 16th -17th April 2011, 36 new and old members of the Kuala Lumpur Bar Young Lawyers Committee (KLYLC) participated in a retreat at Bukit Gambang Resort City Kuantan, Pahang. Nestled within the secondary jungle in Gambang, Kuantan, the resort provided the perfect environment for the retreat.

Despite a rainy Saturday morning, it did not dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic participants who all gathered at the BHP Petrol Station, Gombak before leaving together in a convoy of 9 cars. After a 3-hour drive through the East Coast Highway, the participants arrived safely at the resort.

The retreat began with a brief welcome address by the KLYLC Chair, Kenneth Wong Poh Lim followed by an ice-breaking session. Participants were paired together and required to briefly describe his/her partner. Each participant was also provided with a name tag to sketch his/her partner’s face on it.

After a scrumptious buffet lunch at the resort’s coffee house, the next agenda for the retreat was a session where participants were asked to list down the problems affecting themselves as young lawyers, problems in relation to the BAR and the nation as a whole. Amongst the problems which affected themselves as young lawyers were problems concerning low wages/salary, long working hours and heavy workload, no proper guidance/mentoring by senior lawyers, feeling unappreciated, office politics etc.

Richard Wee, newly elected chairman of the National Young Lawyers Committee of the Bar Council was kind enough to take some time off his busy schedule to take part in the retreat, where he conducted a training session with the participants.

As evening approached, participants were told that the jungle trekking session had to be postponed as that evening was darker than usual, hence making it unsafe to proceed. Later that night, before the start of the brainstorming session on aspirations and hopes for the KLYLC, participants were all blindfolded in an activity to walk towards a ‘voice’. The activity basically taught the participants the importance of teamwork and working together in finding the voice. The night ended with a campfire session.

On Sunday morning, participants were divided into 3 groups for the obstacle challenges and outdoor team building activities organised by the resort. Needless to say, this was in fact one of the highlights of the retreat. The retreat’s finale was a session led by Kenneth Wong where he unveiled the plans and aspirations for the KLYLC for the upcoming year of 2011.

As participants headed back to Kuala Lumpur around 2pm, it goes without saying that all 36 participants parted with better ties fostered, more focused on the expectations for the KLYLC, highly motivated and energised to contribute to the Bar.

Web report prepared by Johnson Lim, YL.Net Unit of the KLYLC

Forum on ‘Climate Change: A Catastrophe in the Making’ 22.02.2011 at Bar Council Auditorium, Kuala Lumpur

The KL Bar Environmental and Humanities Committee organised a one- day forum on climate change entitled Climate Change: A Catastrophe in the Making on 22 February 2011 at the Bar Council Auditorium, Kuala Lumpur.

The forum drew an attendance of 100 participants comprising of members the Bar, environmental activists, NGOs, civil society, government agencies, the private sector and students from local and foreign universities.

The event was fully sponsored by KLS Energy Sdn Bhd, an organisation which promotes usage of alternative sources of energy such as windmills and solar panels.

Six invited speakers presented their papers in 2 separate sessions in the morning, focusing on topics such as After Cancun 2010 what next? and The Real Nature of Climate Change. Why is it everybody’s problem? The speakers were Ms Chew Swee Yoke of the Malaysian Bar, Mr Muru Loganathan of the British High Commission, Mr Adrian Yeo of Malaysian Youth Climate Justice Network, Mr Gurmit Singh KS of Centre of Environment, Technology and Development, Malaysia, Prof Chan Ngai Weng of University Sains Malaysia and Ms Lim Li Ching of Third World Network. Their presentations and the ensuing question-and-answer sessions had served to heighten much public awareness in climate change as an area of international concern from many aspects and perspectives.

In the afternoon, a video presentation of David Suzuki, an award-winning scientist and environmentalist, gave the audience some insight into the challenges humankind has to face in terms of moving away from the illusionary nature of economic growth towards the reality of a sustainable ecosystem.

Central to the problem of Climate Change, is the control of global greenhouse gas emission. The push and pull forces seem to unfold during the forum, between scientific necessity, on one hand and political possibility on the other.

This led to a lively seven-member panel discussion comprising 4 of the speakers as well as 3 representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) namely Dr Che Abdul Rahim Nik, Dr. Teddy Lian Kok Fei and Dr Elizabeth MP Philip. The participants took part as well in engaging the panel members with their questions, some of which are very penetrating and thought-provoking.

The forum was closed by Dato’ Sri Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of the Natural Resources and Environment, who delivered a closing address.

As an appropriate conclusion to the forum the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee issued a communiqué as follows:

‘Believing that it is imperative to act rather than talk, and BEING ALARMED by the time running out on humankind, WE CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE to join hands and initiate positive and meaningful measures in the form of peoples’ initiatives, policies, legislation and financial incentives to achieve the Prime Minister’s undertaking to the Copenhagen Summit 2009, that Malaysia is committed to reduce its carbon emission intensity by 40% by 2020.’

Contributed by Roger Chan Weng Keng

Bar Council Circular No 080/2011

Chief Justice of Malaya’s Practice Direction No 2 of 2011 on Court Proceedings and Joint Press Release by the Chief Justice of Malaysia and the President of the Malaysian Bar

Bar Council is pleased to inform you that the Bench and the Bar have arrived at a common position on the KPI issue.

Click here for Practice Direction No 2 of 2011 and here for the the joint press release dated 7 Apr 2011. We will make further announcements regarding the working groups.

Meanwhile, we are also working with the Bench to resolve the problems of clashing hearing dates and no postponements arising from the Court of Appeal’s fixing of interlocutory appeals.

Should you have any feedback, please submit your input by email to nikwaheeda@malaysianbar.org.my or by fax to 03-2032 2043. Please do not hesitate to contact Nik Waheeda Nik Kamarulzaman by telephone at 03-2031 3003 ext 142 or 03-2032 4498, should you require any clarification.

Thank you for your patience. Bar Council hopes this will be one of many steps taken to improve the administration of justice.

Thank you.

Lim Chee Wee

President

Malaysian Bar