KUALA LUMPUR, Wed: A collection of young lawyers from Brunei, Indonesia,
Sarawak, Sabah, Singapore, Hong Kong and Peninsular Malaysia discovered that
despite geographical distance they shared a common view with regards to issues
pertaining to young lawyers all around the region at the South East Asian Young
Lawyers Convention on the final day of the 14th Malaysian Law Conference.
Dipendra Harshad Rai and Noreen Ariff (Peninsular Malaysia), Brenndon Soh
(Sabah), Suwito (Indonesia), Laura Liew and Jacinta Thannimalai (Singapore),
James Yu ( Hong Kong), Jessie Pang (Brunei) and Desmond Sahathevan (Sarawak)
were the participants at the convention who shared their insights into issues
surrounding young lawyers and the consideration of the proposal to form a “South
East Asian Young Lawyers Alliance”. It has to be pointed out that the
participant from Hong Kong whilst not part of South East Asia was invited to
participate and also to join the proposed alliance.
President of LawAsia, Mah Weng Kwai opened the convention and endorsed the idea
of such an alliance and promoted the implementation of exchange programmes
between various South East Asian jurisdictions. According to Mah, an exchange
programme was already in place in Malaysia between the Santa Clara University in
America and the Malaysian Bar whereby undergraduates and young lawyers were
given the opportunity for placements in local law firms as exposure and to learn
about practice in a foreign jurisdiction.
Jessie Pang spoke of the challenges of practising in Brunei which has one of the
youngest and smallest Bar societies amongst the participants having only been
established 2 years ago. One of the major issues facing young lawyers in Brunei
according to Jessie was the high rate of young lawyers dropping out of practice
citing long working hours and low pay as factors in their decision. This was
echoed by Laura Liew about young lawyers in Singapore and also by Desmond
Sahathevan of Sarawak lawyers. Brenndon Soh thought the efforts of the National
Young Lawyers Committee in promulgating the formation of an alliance of South
East Asian Young Lawyers “highly commendable” and committed the full support of
the Sabah Bar to such an endeavor and even inviting future conventions to be
held in Sabah.
Noreen Ariff highlighted the various projects and activities of the NYLC and
Dipendra explained how the idea of an alliance first came to light and how such
an alliance would strengthen cross-border relationships and co-operation as well
as the healthy exchange of ideas and information.
As a statement of solidarity, the participants then signed
the Kuala Lumpur Declaration which is reproduced in full below:-
THE KUALA LUMPUR DECLARATION
We, the participants of the South East Asian Young Lawyers Convention at the
14th Malaysian Law Conference:-
CONSCIOUS that we are increasingly part of a global community;
RECOGNISING that good relations and collaboration among the young lawyers will
create a better future for the South East Asian legal fraternity;
DECLARE THIS DAY that we are committed to form a “South East Asia Young Lawyers
Alliance” as a platform for mutual development and professional networking among
the young lawyers of South East Asia: we firmly commit ourselves to forge a
dynamic and strategic interaction and co-operation among the young lawyers in
this region. We trust that good relations and collaboration among the young
lawyers will create a better future for the South East Asian legal fraternity;
AND TO CONSIDER the following course of action:
• Establishing a network platform through online mechanisms in order to enhance
interaction and dialogue among the members of South East Asian Young Lawyers
Alliance, and
• Implement professional exchange programs across the various legal
jurisdictions represented in the South East Asia Young Lawyers Alliance.
The first participants at the South East Asia Young Lawyers Convention are from
Brunei, Hong Kong (invited), Indonesia, Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Peninsular
Malaysia.
ISSUED in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 31st October 2007 by the first participants
of the South East Asian Young Lawyers Convention.