©The
Star (Used by permission)
by Sarah Chew and Tan Ee Loo
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) law graduates can still
practise if they pass their Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) exam.
According to CLP examinations director Muniandy Kannyappan, the procedure
for graduates to enter legal practice is to complete the CLP, unless
exempted, then apply for chambering and be admitted to the Malaysian Bar.
“The question of degree ‘recognition’ doesn’t arise because the law
programme was accredited by MQA (Malaysian Qualifications Agency) in March.
However, the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) views that evaluation
has to be done in order to determine if UUM graduates can be exempted from
the CLP exam for purposes of legal practice,” Muniandy told The Star.
He was responding to a letter titled “UUM law grads left in limbo”,
that appeared in The Star yesterday.
The writer of the letter, whose daughter is pursuing her law degree at UUM,
said he checked with the Malaysian Bar Council and was told that the
Bachelor of Laws degree awarded by UUM had yet to be “recognised” for
admission to the Malaysian Bar.
UUM’s law programme, offered since 2003, is undergoing evaluation by the
LPQB.
LPQB’s evaluation committee visited UUM last month and will determine within
the next few months if its graduates can be exempted from taking the CLP
exam.
Currently, graduates from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi Mara,
International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
and National University of Singapore as well as barristers–at–law of England
are exempted.
“UUM feels that its degree is of the same standard as that of the other
universities. But the LPQB still has to declare if its law students should
be exempted,” Muniandy said.
He added that upon evaluation, should UUM students be exempted from the CLP,
its first batch of graduates from 2007 could apply to enter chambering
without having to sit for the examination.
A UUM official said the university would issue a statement today, to clarify
the matter.