PUTRAJAYA: A good lesson to be learnt by all, is how Umno Youth chief Datuk
Seri Hishammuddin Hussein described the controversy involving Maybank’s equity
requirement for its panel of lawyers.
Hishammuddin said the requirement that law firms needed at
least 50 per cent Bumiputera equity before they could do business with the bank
was not just an internal matter.
The education minister said the bank’s approach was wrong as such issues could
create misperception and anxiety about government policies.
"We are in our 50th year of of independence and people want to learn from our
system, and here we are bickering about a matter that shouldn’t have surfaced at
all. This is a lesson to us as a multi-racial nation, that a small matter like
this can be sensitive.
"It is not a huge issue and could have been resolved between the parties
involved. For this issue to be brought up in cabinet was unnecessary," he said
after a meeting with his Thai counterpart Prof Dr Wichit Srisa-an and Higher
Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamad.
Maybank had come under criticism by lawyers and some
political groups which insisted that firms should be judged on their merit and
not ethnic composition or equity.
Maybank had on Wednesday said it would, with immediate effect, give due
consideration to all legal firms, whether with Bumiputera equity ownership or
not.
This was done after reviewing issues and concerns raised by various parties.
It had said in a statement that the selection of legal firms would continue to
be based on performance, efficiency and merit.
On his meeting with Wichit, he said the Thai minister was impressed with the
teaching of Islamic studies which can be extended to religious schools in
southern Thailand.
He said Malaysia was willing to share its experience in religious education with
Thailand and both countries would make sure that plans to promote Islamic
education in southern Thailand would be carried out from pre-school to secondary
levels.
"We are looking at the big picture as religious education is a life-long
process," he said.
He said a committee had been established comprising officials from both
countries to look at the technical and vocational curriculum of the schools.
The committee would also visit Thailand’s southern provinces soon to conduct
studies for the implementation of programmes.
Also on the cards are student and teacher exchanges.
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Seminar on an Introduction to the Industrial Relations Act (23 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 23 May 2012 (Wednesday). The seminar will be conducted by Wong Keat Ching. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Tax Issues in Financial Transactions (25 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar, featuring S Saravana Kumar, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
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Talk on What Clients Want (7 June 2012) Organised by the KL Bar Practitioners' Affairs Committee, the talk, presented by Ong Eu Jin, will take place at 5:00 pm, at the KL Bar Auditorium, on 7 June 2012 (Thursday). Click on the link above for more details.
4th LAWASIA Family Law Conference, Penang (13 and 14 July 2012) Supported by Penang Bar Committee and the Malaysian Bar, this conference, themed “The New Global Family: Emerging Trends and Challenges to Family Practice”, will take place at Traders Hotel, Penang, on 13 and 14 July 2012 (Friday and Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
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Circular No 106/2012: Accountant’s Report 2011
