The Committee has just requisitioned a survey on working conditions of the Bar which may be foundherein Bahasa Malaysia and English.
We are seeking important information on various aspects of practice including income, working hours, work/life balance, career advancement prospects, involvement in Bar activities, pro bono work, continuing professional development and levels of work satisfaction at the Bar.
It is done on a confidential basis with no names asked to be given, and we hope to receive at least 4000 replies from the whole country broken down roughly as follows:
Kuala Lumpur – 1670 Selangor – 600 Johor – 450 Penang – 400 Perak – 300 Negeri Sembilan – 100 Kedah – 100 Pahang – 100 Malacca – 100 Kelantan – 100 Terengganu – 70 Perlis – 10
Recently, it has come to our attention that the submission of the survey forms by lawyers has been made subject to prior review and approval by their respective employers.
This may be viewed positively in that the employer cares to encourage their employees to return the forms, and would like to obtain feedback from their employees.
On the other hand, the hazard in this practice is to stifle honest input by members.
As lawyers, we should allow our fellow members at the Bar the right (and not merely a privilege) to exercise their free choice by expressing their views through a simple survey.
We sincerely hope that this reported incident is isolated, and we wish that all members who fill the survey forms are transparent.
Whilst employers may have good intentions attempting to understand what may be on their young practitioners’ minds, we urge patience and await the results of the survey.
Alternatively, discussions between employers and employees on working conditions should properly be held at internal review sessions.
This incident reinforces the Committee’s view that such a survey is a much needed innovation which has been long overdue for the Bar.
So what keeps you from doing your part now? Spare a little bit of your time and together, we may just better the future of the Bar.
We accept survey forms by post, dispatch, courier, fax (03-20261313/20342825/20725818, attention: Ms Lynette Tan) or email (lynette.tan@malaysianbar.org.my).
2012 Bar Council Subscription Click the link above to download Circular 072/2012 pertaining to the 2012 Bar Council subscription, including the payment guide and a set of Frequently-Asked-Questions.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Bar Council Bookshop Read MORE … but pay LE$$! Members enjoy a 20% discount on LexisNexis publications at the Bar Council Bookshop. Click on the link above for the list of available titles.
International Malaysia Law Conference (26 to 28 Sept 2012) Hurry up! The countdown continues and the current promotion rate ends 30 June 2012. Don't miss what is going to be the best conference in the region! On top of that, if you sign up with 5 or more people from the same organisation, we will give you a 10% group discount. Click on the link above to register.
Talk on Summary Judgement (25 May 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, this talk will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). The talk will be conducted by Ramesh Supramanian. 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.
Dialogue with Criminal Law Practitioners (26 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council, this dialogue will take place at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 26 May 2012 (Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
Conference on Competition Law (31 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council with the support of LexisNexis, this conference will take place at 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, on 31 May 2012 (Thursday). For more details or to register, please contact Vilashini Vijayan (03-2050 2095; vila@malaysianbar.org.my). Click on the link above for more details.
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.
by the National Young Lawyers’ Committee
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