The Malaysian Bar - YL Personality: Edelina Sophia Binti Sophian Pulle

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YL Personality: Edelina Sophia Binti Sophian Pulle

Thursday, 17 May 2007 08:29am

Contributed by the National Young Lawyers Committee

“Legal aid in Sungai Buloh prison made a mark on me”

Edelina Sophia Binti Sophian Pulle was called to the Bar on February 10, 2006. She is a currently practising in a medium-sized firm in Sunway. A pleasant personality with her bubbly character and ‘fuzzy’ hair, she is easily recognisable be it in the court premises or the “pasar malam”.

Ng Chung Yee, member of the NYLC recently managed to catch a few words with this young personality to share her thoughts and views.

Why do you choose law over other subjects?

Honestly, I wanted to do so many different things in life. I figured why learn and end up doing the same thing for the rest of your life? So after my SPM exams I applied for hotel management, tourism, economics and I even wanted to be a chef! But law was of course my first choice. Why? Maybe because I just love listening to myself talk, and always had to make my opinions known. No, seriously, I think I have what it takes to become a lawyer and perhaps I will be happy practising law. Isn’t that what’s important - loving what you do?

Has it always been your first choice? I remember that in Standard One we were always asked to write a composition titled ‘My Ambition’.

In Standard One, my ambitions were to be a veterinarian and a lawyer. I guess I kind of knew my ‘path’ even back then. I have even thought about becoming a jet fighter pilot once. Alas, my eyesight just was not good enough.

Isn’t legal practice a ‘field of landmines’? Any careless step may be visited by law suits. Do you feel that it is a rewarding career despite this?

Sure. I guess it comes with the job. The way I look at it is that people pay you good money to solve their problems or whatever trouble they’ve gotten themselves into, so it does not help if you were to make things worse for them by messing up their case. But, we are after all only human. To err is human. That is when our legal indemnity insurance comes in handy. For me personally, it’s rewarding because practice is fun and challenging. The pay - although not much during your first few years of practice - definitely beats asking money from your parents.

Which field would you be venturing if it isn’t law?

I’ll definitely be a veterinarian. But, alas science wasn’t my strongest subject, or perhaps a rock star. Seriously, I can sing.

Why a veterinarian? It seems very ‘distant’ from your current profession?

Why not? I love animals. I’m just crazy over them. Cats, dogs, furry mammals and reptiles - you name it. My father is an animal enthusiast. He is a planter, and so my brother and I grew up in the estate. Our home was like a small zoo itself. We had a bunch of birds from different species, cats, dogs, fishes, rabbits, even squirrels. Even today, in my small apartment which I share with my brother, we keep three mischievous and feisty cats, all of which, I have rescued from the streets. I enjoy doing charity for animals and I am a member of World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). So you see, if I were to join the science stream instead of the arts stream, I may well be on my way to becoming a vet. But, then again, I find science subjects a bit too ‘dry’ for my liking.

What is your most memorable experience in practice?

Good or bad? If it’s good, I would probably have to say it is when I made a good impression of myself and my boss commended me for a job well done - you can imagine the satisfaction. As for the bad, I remembered once during my first court appearance while chambering, a Magistrate asked me who I was because I had only introduced myself after he had addressed the Defendant, and yes, I was the counsel for the Defendant! It was a horrifying experience. But the most memorable of all, good and bad alike, were the trips to Sungai Buloh Prison which was part of our legal aid duty. Somehow, that experience really did leave a mark in me.

How?

All sorts - mixed feelings. Listening to their experience made me feel grateful and I learnt to appreciate the freedom I have. At the same time, I feel sorry for the prisoners and their families. It also made me realise not to judge a person or label a person in any way, just because he or she may have been in prison.

You appear to be quite a bubbly character…

So I’ve been told. Perhaps I should have just joined Malaysian Idol, get discovered, become a singer and forget about practising all together. My parents surely would not agree to that in a thousand years!

What are your views on the influx of foreign lawyers that some fear within our fraternity?

I think only good-looking and single foreign lawyers should be allowed to practise in our country (chuckles…). On a more serious note though, are we facing a shortage of local-home-grown lawyers that we are forced to open our doors to foreign lawyers? But then again, there are many clients in big cities like Kuala Lumpur and if a firm manages to maintain or exceed their clients’ expectations by providing excellent services, why worry about other firms, foreign or local? They will keep coming back.

Would it improve our services for the industry? Should their participation be limited?

You know what they say - the more competition, the better the service. Yes, maybe their participation should be limited, perhaps limited to representing only foreigners alike for example or when it concerns foreign law, if possible.

Practice within our own country is curtailed. A member of the Malaysian Bar is not allowed to practise in Sabah and Sarawak. Are we ready for globalisation?

Honestly, I really do not have a definite answer for that question. But being a Sabahan myself, I have been asked that question numerous times. Personally, I do not see why not. But perhaps there is a reason for such rule. Maybe it’s because Sabah and Sarawak are quite different from the Peninsular not only in the subject of law, like for example laws regarding land, but also in culture and dialect. Or perhaps just like your earlier question suggests, the influx of foreign lawyers - foreign here means lawyers from the Peninsular - could evoke fear. The local Sabahan and Sarawakian lawyers may have to compete for clients with ‘foreign’ lawyers in their home ground.

The public are excited about the new courts complex that boasts over 70 courts and is hailed as one of the biggest court complexes in the world. Lawyers are less enthusiastic. What do you think?

As a person who relies so much on public transportation, I am more worried about the location and getting there on time for my case. Taking the bus is a nightmare and there are no trains or LRT available. So how is the public going to get to court?

Besides logistics, are there other worries?

Yes, 70 over courts you say? How are we ever going to find our way in court? We should also be expecting to do a lot more ‘file searches’ for these coming few months after the big move.

Perhaps we are more comfortable with the phrase that justice should be seen to be done rather than justice should be done.

Perhaps. The way I look at things is this - when you have done your best to do something but it still comes out not exactly how you want it - be content. Justice that is seen to be done is better than no justice at all. But then, if there is a way that justice itself can be done, it should be done.

What do you do or enjoy doing during your free time, or do you still have any free time since practicing?

Sure I do. However, I reserve my weekends to catch up with my housework like laundry and stuff. Some of us just do not have the funds to hire extra help. The weekends are also when I get to spend time with my brother, going to the movies or just eating out. And of course, to pamper my cats - Gaban, Gipsy and Bear.