Comments for Road block causes failure in CLP examinations at http://www.malaysianbar.org.my , comment 0 to 12 out of 12 comments http://www.malaysianbar.org.my Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:49:53 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7282 We should assist these CLP students to sue the Police and the Government of Malaysia. Richard Wee Thiam Seng - Richard Wee Thiam Seng Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:05:17 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7281 Always a pleasure reading Stephen's posts. Keep it up! Nicholas Netto - Nicholas Netto Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:59:54 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7279 My dear Siew Chin Many thanks for your kind words. I deeply appreciate that, more so when my health is inclement. I know that so long as we in the Malaysian Bar have people such as you, so long will our Bar be enriched. Frankly, we must have more people like you. My dear Shanmuga We can sue for damages. The damages, however, is quantified only in monetary terms. We can never being back the time lost. It is on this very score of being unable to bring back the time lost - no Government I know, however powerful, can do that! - that decision-makers at whatever levels they are cannot simply exercise their discretion ever so lightly. They must exercise their powers of discretion always and ever mindful of the consequences that will visit those they putatively serve. To all my fellow lawyers, May I digress here? I also recall telling senior Bukit Aman officers way back in 1987 that the powers of detention cannot be lightly exercised. Why? Simply because no Government I know, however powerful it is, can extend the life of even its most powerful figure by one mere second! Why did you think I left this country in 1989, two years after Operation Lalang in 1987 and one year after the judicial crisis of 8.8.1988, the day Tun Salleh was sacked? To be candid, I left this country crying. And I dared not look back because those fellow journalists who came to the airport to send me off in the wee hours of that day because they never believed that I would leave this country were also crying! As we parted, tears were welling in their very eyes. I fought to hold back mine, just to show a bold front. I have no regret returning to my tanah air ten years later in 1999. I now can see for myself that corruption is institutionalised and instrumentalised. Thirty years on, the national psyche that was so severely jolted by Operation Lalang in 1987 has still to recover, no thanks to You Know Who. From afar, I felt for my country when a former deputy prime minister was subjected to custodial violence. I felt for my country when George Soros began his bahtulism. That is why I returned to see things for myself although I could have practised in New Zealand and earn much more money than I now get. I have no regrets as my children are blessed with good paying jobs in New Zealand. Stephen Tan Ban Cheng - Stephen Tan Ban Cheng Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:21:11 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7278 Dear Roger Whilst you make representations to the Qualifying Board, you should perhaps also ask them to consider taking out a public interest action against the police and the Home Minister for their obvious abuse of police powers. The road blocks were a macabre joke. There was obviously no protest planned, and the Home Minister's so called "evidence" of such a protest has not been made public. The police at the road blocks I passed did absolutely nothing except look menacing with their machine guns. This whole situation seems to be yet another example of a police force intoxicated with power, and abusing their powers for an ulterior purpose - namely the stifling of democratic dissent by instilling of a culture of fear amongst the people. The costs for reconvening the exams, and the costs incurred by all Malaysians on that day should be reimbursed to the rakyat. Shanmuga Kanesalingam - Shanmuga Kanesalingam Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:42:20 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7277 My dear Stephen Well said, right down to the last canine reference! ;D Just like you, Mr Roger Tan does the talk & do the walk! And runs this fine website. SALUTE! Teo Siew Chin - Teo Siew Chin Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:15:56 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7276 I just can't imagine the "trauma" these CLP candidates suffered as a result of the jam caused by the road block. CLP itself is already a nightmare, now... Thanks to Roger Tan, good work! Ding Chu Teck - Ding Chu Teck Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:11:34 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7275 My dear Roger My thanks to you for your expeditious move on behalf of all the CLP students affected by the decision to mount the road blocks. It is dismaying that they are suffering through no fault of their own. My hope now is that the Bar Council will support your move, if only to help fellow Malaysians in distress. I recall being in nearly the same predicament once, only to be told off by a senior Bar Councillor who is today still serving that the Bar Council will not do anything for lawyers who are still not members of the Malaysian Bar. Of course, this Bar Councillor till today asks me for my vote. Every year, I give my vote to him because I am confident that over time, his selfish character will be known. Meanwhile, Roger, many thanks again. Do you best, even if your best is thwarted. Grateful people will remember. Only ungrateful dogs don't! Stephen Tan Ban Cheng - Stephen Tan Ban Cheng Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:05:13 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7273 I shall take this matter up with the Council and the Legal Profession Qualifying Board. I agree that the affected students have a genuine grievance which requires redress. Any more students in the same predicament can email me at rogertan@malaysianbar.org.my. Roger Tan Chairman National Young Lawyers Committee - Roger Tan Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:51:27 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7269 It is morally incumbent on the Bar Council to address this problem, although it clearly does not have a legal duty to do so since the CLP students are not its members. My heart goes out to all CLP students affected. Bearing in mind that some or most of them do not come from wealthy families, the problem they face is unconscionable. I am at a loss for words to describe the depth of my feelings for this group of my fellow Malaysians who is suffering through no fault of their own. It is perhaps relevant to remind bureaucrats and decision-makers to be a lot more careful because the decisions they make affects the people they putatively serve. Is this another instance of a failing state? Stephen Tan Ban Cheng - Stephen Tan Ban Cheng Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:28:05 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7265 My heart goes out to Ganesh and his friends who missed the paper and even those who arrived late for the paper. I can imagine the trauma when I think back on my students days and the pressure to complete the CLP. I hope something can be done to help these students who have missed the paper through no fault of their own. Can the Council assist in appealing for a special sitting for them? Something must be done for them! An apology just will not do!!! Fatima Bt Tahir Ali - Fatima Bt Tahir Ali Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:02:17 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7262 The massive traffic jam caused by the Police is unbelievable. Whatever the reasons they might have had, it simply shows their careless and unbothered attitude towards the concerns of others. Could the road blocks have been avoided????? This shows the true weaknesses of the Police in handling small matters. If they cannot handle even small matters, how can we trust and expect them to handle 'big' matters? They should be more concerned about the illegals in the midst of peace-loving Malaysian citizens instead of setting up 'road-blocks' to block off Malaysians! Tan Peek Guat - Tan Peek Guat Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:35:47 +0100 http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/letters_others/road_block_causes_failure_in_clp_examinations.html#pc_7260 I really can't understand that the reason for the said road blocks as the police has no justification to do so and the same has caused unnecessary losses and/or damages to most people especially for CLP students. The police and the government should be responsible to this matter. Tong Kuan Ling - Tong Kuan Ling Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:08:14 +0100