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©The
Star (Used by permission)
Putik Lada by H.R. Dipendra
Voice of the Young: Some of the members of the NYLC. Back row
(from left): Donovan Cheah, Sandesh Kabir Singh, HR Dipendra, Choo Dee Wei, Lee
Shih. Front (from left): Navrita Preet Kaur, Fam Yu Min, Syamsuriatina Bt Ishak,
Zainurazira Binti Zainal Abidin, Fadiah Nadwa Binti Fikri, Janet Chai and Noor
Arianti Binti Osman.
The NYLC is pledged to playing a vibrant role in the future
of Malaysia in a non-partisan and non-political manner.
OSCAR Wilde once famously quipped that “the old believe everything, the
middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything”.
Against this, we now introduce Putik Lada, the mouthpiece of the National
Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC) of the Bar Council, where some of the hot
controversial topics affecting Malaysians will be ventilated in a seemingly
piquant manner.
As Malaysia continues to find itself politically, economically and socially, who
better than the young to “card carry” the aspirations of all Malaysians and
ensure that as a nation, we continue to mature progressively.
It would only seem appropriate that the NYLC does its level best by playing a
vibrant role in the future of Malaysia in a non-partisan and non-political
manner.
It is also equally important that we recognise that many young lawyers have the
potential to become future leaders of the Bar (and the country), and carry on
the Bar’s tradition in upholding justice without fear or favour.
The recent successful staging of NYLC-led projects like the Young Malaysians
Round Table; the Minda Muda Research Study: Young Malaysians on National Unity –
a joint effort by the NYLC and Centre for Public Policy Studies – which was
presented to Jabatan Perpaduan Negara & Integrasi Nasional; the Siri Permikiran
Kritis; the West Coast Charity Nite and the Young Professionals Alliance are
some of the examples of how the NYLC has attempted to interact and create value
with members of civil society, the public and the world at large.
These activities showcase the ability and talent of young lawyers to initiate
and execute when given the opportunity, and, rightly so, the NYLC will continue
to push for agenda to reform and better manage the expectations of Malaysians.
Likewise, Putik Lada, in no small way, will optimistically showcase the
voice of today’s young lawyers and at the same time ensure that all Malaysians
are guaranteed sanctuary under the Federal Constitution.
I can do no better than to resonate what Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah
said during his keynote address at the Young Malaysians Round Table discussion –
Malaysians of all races, religions and geographic locations need to believe
“beyond a shadow of a doubt” that they have a place under the Malaysian sun.
Perhaps, and purely as a brief background, an explanation is necessary on the
history behind the formation of the NYLC.
Oddly, the NYLC owes its very existence to a breach of human rights, when in
1978, the Tun Hussein Onn-led government introduced an amendment to the Legal
Profession Act prohibiting the participation of lawyers below seven years in
practice in Bar Council and State Bar Committee elections.
This sparked a legal struggle, and concurrent with this struggle was the need to
abolish this “seven-year rule” to better the welfare of young lawyers in
peninsular Malaysia.
On Oct 2, 2006 (some 28 years later), this legal struggle reached its climax
when the Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2006 (LPA 2006) came into force and in
the process abolished the restrictions placed by the 1978 amendments.
In between, and as the Bar grew larger, a group of enterprising lawyers came
together in 1995 to form the Junior Lawyers Representative Committee (JLRC).
Realising the importance and strength of the younger members of the Bar, the
JLRC soon gave way to the NYLC after the passing of a Bar Council resolution on
Jan 17, 1998, and as adopted by the Malaysian Bar on March 21, 1998. Thus, the
NYLC was born and, as its clarion call, every state in the peninsula was
requested to form a state young lawyers committee to look into the welfare of
the younger members of the Bar.
Led by a strong team of past leaders like Sivarasa Rasiah, Ragunath Kesavan and
Edmund Bon, the NYLC soon evolved rapidly and not only did it look inwards by
providing opportunities for young lawyers to be exposed and trained from a
macro-level at the Bar, it also generated external opportunities by encouraging
young lawyers to take part in the activities of the Bar as well as community
projects, and in the process build a platform for young lawyers to contribute
their views.
The ever-increasing participation by young lawyers in supporting public interest
issues, such as the administration of, and access to, justice and law reform is
testament of the success of the NYLC.
By continuing to provide the avenue, the NYLC hopes to harness and channel the
energy and idealism of young lawyers in matters that affect the Bar and the
country, and our young Member of Parliament for Serdang Teo Nie Ching is
testimony of this.
No doubt the aftermath of the 2006 amendments meant that the NYLC had to change
the idea of how it was perceived. For a start, it was all too easy for many to
equate the struggles of the NYLC with the “seven-year rule”.
The truth, as inconvenient as it may be for some, is that the NYLC was much more
than a committee focusing on abolishing the “seven-year rule”. Therefore, the
timely introduction of Putik Lada is more than just an avenue to voice
out the aspirations of the young. It is a character-defining moment for not only
the NYLC but also the future populace of the nation.
Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of
this column: a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and
aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information
about the young lawyers, please visit
www.malaysianbar.org.my/nylc
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Circular No 019/2012: Change of Address for Pejabat Pengarah Tanah dan Galian Wilayah Persekutuan
An Ode To My Youthful Friends
Nothing beats the joy of youth,
Its sweet innocence,
Exuberance and recklessness.
No water tastes just as sweet.
The dreams of youth comprise
A mix of the four wonders.
May all youths find that
Elusive Sage of Wisdom
in their long journey,
Savour the experience
of Life and all it brings ...
Celebrate life ...
For all that it is worth.
Stephen Tan Ban Cheng