Transmenu powered by JoomlArt.com - Mambo Joomla Professional Templates Club

* The Late Mr Terlok Singh s/o Gurmeet Singh
* The Late Mr Lachhman Singh s/o Kapur Singh
* AllahYarham Abdul Razak Ahmad
* The Late Ms Rajeswari d/o Rassu

CORAM: Yang Arif Dato Jeffrey Tan Kok Wha; Yang Arif Dato’ Azhar Bin Mohamed; Yang Arif Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman Dato’ Hj Mohd Zawawi Bin Salleh and Yang Arif Pesuruhjaya Kehakiman Tuan Vernon Ong

May It Please You My Lords –

Hendon Mohamed appearing for and on behalf of the Bar Council and the Malaysian Bar.

My Lords - I recognize and acknowledge the presence of My Learned Friends – Y.Bhg Datuk Abdul Rahman Putra appearing for the Attorney-General; Mr K.Mohan, Chairman Johore Bar Committee appearing for the Johore Bar Committee and the Johore Bar and my Learned Friends Mr Mathew George, Mr Balarajah and Ms Pushpalatha – who respectively represented and spoke for each of the above-named Deceased members.

My Lords –

We are gathered here to pay tribute to the memory of four of our Learned Friends and Colleagues who have left us and passed on at different times in the course of this year, specifically:-

* The Late Mr Terlok Singh on 28 January 2007
* The Late Mr Lachhman Singh 20 July 2007
* AllahYarham Encik Abdul Razak Ahmad on 12 August 2007
* The Late Ms Rajeswari Rassu on 21 August 2007

My Lords - On behalf of the Bar Council and the Malaysian Bar, I wish to fully associate myself with the sentiments and tribute expressed by Mr Mohan for the Johore Bar, and by my other Learned Friends, in respect of each of the persons so named. For each of them, I wish to convey our deepest sense of loss and our condolences to the respective Family so sadly left behind.

My Lords - I did not have the privilege of knowing Mr Terlok Singh, Mr Lachman Singh or Ms Rajeswari at close quarters, but I take particular note of each of their respective background, as so lucidly presented by each of their Colleagues, and the contribution of each of them to the Malaysian Bar - no matter what might have been the duration of their practice. I am particularly saddened that they had passed away at a time when they could have still contributed much more to the legal profession.

However I did, My Lords, have the singular honour and the singular privilege of having personally known the Late Abdul Razak Ahmad (Razak), and I seek Your Lordships’ leave to say a few words, of my own in addition to what has been expressed by my Learned Friend Mr Mohan on behalf of the Johore Bar and even more lucidly by My Learned Friend Mr Balarajah.

Mr Balarajah has put Razak’s life in the superlative. It is impossible for me to try to say anything to surpass that. But permit me to put Razak in my perspective.

Razak was a radical. Indeed everything that has been said of him and about him in the discourse earlier, projects the man that Razak was independent of mind and of spirit in both thought and deed. He showed these attributes even as an undergraduate of the University of Singapore - long before he became an Advocate & Solicitor.

Razak unfailingly made spectacular headlines. But in everything that he did, he did for a cause, and he did it because he believed in what he did and what he stood for. More than anything else, he believed in himself.

My Lords - Razak and I emerged from the same University - The National University of Singapore (The NUS). He of course was there some ten (10) years after me, leaving the spectacular record of having been expelled even before he could sit for the final examination! I did not leave any spectacular record, but I did share a bonding of sorts with Razak because I believe I did understand his ideals. And inasmuch as I did not quite agree with the many things that he did (and especially the way he did it), I could not help but admire him for his principles, the strength of his character and the depth of his conviction.

And then again in everything Razak did, he did it with charm and grace. As a lawyer , as a politician, as a Human Rights activist, as a champion for the masses – he was one of a kind. You name it - he has done it! Razak was also one member of the Malaysian Bar who did his best to live up to the philosophy of the law and the ideals of the legal profession, showing us the path of goodwill in the pursuit of Justice.

My Lords - I do earnestly believe that Razak is at peace in the kingdom of his Maker, that he left this earth a happy man, secure in the knowledge that while he lived, he had made a difference.

I personally cannot recall anyone whose passing has left such an indelible mark on so many people - lawyers aside. Razak will be greatly missed by all of us who loved him for the man that he was.

Before I conclude My Lords, may I be permitted to say this:

I have, over the years, attended a fair number of References before different Courts, but this is the first time that I am appearing before the entire distinguished panel of the members of the Bench serving in the State. My Lords, I am deeply honoured and privileged to be amongst those given this audience before Your Lordships. I am particularly pleased that in the Honourable Judicial line-up that I am privileged to address, is someone who used to be “My Learned Friend” (now His Lordship Tuan Vernon Ong)

I hasten to make mention of this subject because the practice of holding a Reference on the passing of a member of the Bar or of the Bench is an age-old one, going back into time and into tradition. Sometime in the Eighties we almost lost it - and indeed we lost it for ten (10) years. We who love all our traditions, were grateful when it was revived in 1998 at the special Reference for the late Dato' Ronald Khoo.

My Lords - In tribute to and in appreciation for this ie Your Lordships’ special sitting, in togetherness, allow me to quote the words of My Learned Friend Dr CV Das as the then President of the Malaysian Bar at the Reference for the said Dato' Ronald Khoo on 24 April 1998 at the Federal Court:

And I quote :

“And so it is, as Ronnie leaves us, that he reopens for the Bar a past tradition that had been extinct for many years now,

My Lord, I refer to the practice of references itself. It is almost 10 years since the last reference was held in our courts, and with it ended one of the cherished traditions that set the legal profession apart from the other professions. The practice of references for deceased judges and lawyers serve to remind us that we belong to one body with one objective, namely, the pursuit of justice through the legal process. In that collective effort, governed by the unwritten rules of etiquette and tradition which are just as important as the written ones, the death of one of us diminishes the whole, and so we gather to mourn the loss to pay tribute and remind ourselves that the journey must be made and the faith must be kept.” (Unquote)

My Lords - In the context of what was quoted earlier, Your Lordships’ sitting in togetherness is, to the Malaysian Bar, especially meaningful . It serves to remind us not just of one of our cherished traditions but also indicates to the Bar Your Lordships’ concern for the maintaining of that tradition and the bonding between the Bar and the Bench. I extend to Your Lordships the thanks and. appreciation of' the Malaysian Bar for this wonderfully meaningful gesture.

My Lords – In bidding farewell to our four Deceased Learned Friends

* the Late Mr Terlok Singh
* the Late Mr Lakshman Singh
* Allah Yarham Abdul Razak Ahmad
* the Late Ms Rajeswari Rassu

I again convey to each family, on behalf of the Bar Council and the Malaysian Bar, our deepest sense of loss and sincere condolences. May Their Souls Rest In Peace

Yang Arif-Yang.Arif – Khas kepada keluarga Allah Yarham Abdul Raza.k Ahmad, saya memohon izin untuk menyampaikan secara peribadi ucapan takziah diatas kehilangan Insan yang amat dikasihi mereka dan yang saya berasa sangat bangga megenali semasa hayatnya.

In closing My Lords, I humbly and respectfully move that the record of these proceedings be kept in the archives of this Court and a copy thereof be extended to the respective family of each of the above named Deceased.

Be it so moved.

My Lords – I am deeply obliged to Your Lordships.

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed