Article contributed by Anusha Gopala Krishnan, Officer, Safer Malaysia Committee, and photos by Sarah Kambali, Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee
The Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee and the Perak Bar Committee jointly organised a symposium entitled ‘Towards a Safer Malaysia” at the Perak Bar Auditorium in Ipoh, Perak.
The symposium started at 10:00 am with Ashwin Kumar, the master of ceremonies, inviting the Co-Chairperson of the Safer Malaysia Committee, Richard Wee Thiam Seng, to deliver the opening address.
The line-up of speakers for the symposium was as follows:
(1) Richard Wee Thiam Seng, Co-Chairperson, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee;
(2) Darren Lai Xuenwei, Co-Chairperson, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee;
(3) Marcus Low Chee Hoong, Member, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee;
(4) Mark Soh Hock Meng, Member, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee; Founder, Malaysian Crime Awareness Campaign (“MCAC”); and
(5) Dave Avran, Member, Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee; Founder, Malaysians Against Rape, Assault and Snatch Theft (“MARAH”).
The session was moderated by Sarah Kambali, Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Safer Malaysia Committee.
The event was well attended, with an attendance of a total of 31 participants consisting of Members of the Bar, pupils in chambers, law students and members of the public.
The event commenced with a brief introduction of the committee’s objectives and aims by the speakers. The participants were also introduced to the three crime fighting elements — vigilance, deterrence and prevention, and these elements of crime were discussed from its social, criminological and legal aspects. The speakers each expressed their views on crime, based on their individual area of expertise which led to the symposium being very lively and engaging.
After all the speakers had delivered their message, Sarah Kambali invited the audience for a question-and-answer session. The panellists successfully held their own with their informative exchange of thoughts, and undoubtedly, the audience gained new perspectives on this issue.