Contributed by Baizura Abd Razak, Editor/Writer, and photos by Md Faizal b Mahat, Senior Administrative Assistant, Bar Council
The Malaysian Bar Annual Dinner and Dance 2015 was held at the Majestic Ballroom of The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, on 14 Mar 2015. Although the 69th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar ended at 6:34 pm, the elegant foyer of the modern colonial–style hotel received guests arriving as early as 7:00 pm, in glamourous flapper dresses and fine suits in line with the theme for the night’s event, “The Great Gatsby: Bringing Back the 1920s”.
It was the perfect opportunity for everyone to unwind after the day–long meeting and to just enjoy each other’s company. A photo booth backdrop was set up near the registration counters — complete with 1920s–themed props such as feather wraps, fans and eyeglasses.
This year’s dinner saw almost 1,000 persons in attendance, the highest turnout in many years, including the presence of distinguished guests such as the guest of honour YAA Tun Arifin b Zakaria, Chief Justice of Malaysia; YAA Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Md Raus b Sharif, President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia; Federal Court, Court of Appeal and High Court Judges; former Judges of Federal Court and Court of Appeal; Judicial Commissioners; Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin b Haji Abdullah, former Chief Justice of Malaysia; members of the Judicial Appointments Commission; Michael Hwang SC, Chief Justice of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts and former President of the Law Society of Singapore; Datuk GBB Nandy @ Gaanesh, President of Sabah Law Association; Leonard Shim, President of the Advocates’ Association of Sarawak; past Presidents of the Malaysian Bar; representatives from various Bar Associations; ambassadors and High Commissioners; and deans of law faculties. Several Members of the Bar as well as non–practitioners also graced the event, donning outfits inspired by old Hollywood glam.
At about 9:00 pm, the emcee, Louis the Maestro addressed everyone in the hall and kick–started the event by inviting the outgoing President of the Malaysian Bar, Christopher Leong, to the stage.
In his speech, Christopher Leong recalled how the past Presidents had warned him — before he assumed the office of the presidency of the Malaysian Bar — that “nothing prepares one for presidency”. He noted that he should have heeded those warnings and by the end of the first term, it was already taking a toll on him. However, at that point, he was reminded of the poem by Robert Frost entitled “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, of which he quoted the last stanza:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep,And miles to go before I sleep.
He remarked that to him, the poem was a reminder that his work was still unfinished. He then continued to recall that the second term was equally memorable and challenging. Now, as outgoing President, when asked what were his accomplishments and achievements, he reiterated that “the presidency is not about the person’s achievements; it is not about any one person for the time being. … It is about the continuity of the work and responsibilities of the Bar in meeting the demands and expectations of its Members and the public.”
He then thanked his fellow Office Bearers — Steven Thiru, Richard Wee Thiam Seng and Karen Cheah Yee Lynn — during his term, and made a special mention of appreciation to Rajen Devaraj and Chin Oy Sim, Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Deputy CEO of the Bar Council Secretariat, respectively. He ended his speech by congratulating the Office Bearers of the Malaysian Bar for the 2015/2016 term.
After his speech, Christopher Leong invited Steven Thiru, the newly–elected President of the Malaysian Bar for the 2015/2016 term, onto the stage, and presented to him the flag of the Malaysian Bar, to symbolise the handing over of the presidency. Steven Thiru then awarded a token of appreciation to Christopher Leong, who received a standing ovation. The video montage, comprising photos of Christopher Leong in action throughout his years as Bar Council member and Office Bearer of the Malaysian Bar, received loud applause and enthusiastic laughter when photos of him in a superhero outfit flashed across the screen.
The dinner began with a food presentation. A few courses into the dinner, Anand Ponnudurai, Co–Chairperson of the Bar Council Sports Committee, took to the stage to present the Sports Personality of the Year Award. The four recipients for 2015, who each received the signature jacket and a certificate, were Manmohan Singh Kang a/l Sukhbir Singh, Mohd Rasheed Hassan, Sanjay @ Jegathesan a/l S Mohanasundram and Yeoh Cho Kheong.
The revelry continued with M Ramachelvam, Chairperson of the Malaysian Bar Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee, presenting a brief introduction about the Award. After the video presentation on Dr Radhakrishna Ramani, the deserving recipient of the Malaysian Bar Lifetime Achievement Award 2015, Sulaiman Abdullah — who had penned the citation — then delivered the citation for Dr Radhakrishna Ramani. Dr Radhakrishna Ramani’s daughter–in–law accepted the award, which was bestowed posthumously.
As dinner resumed, guests were entertained by David Gomes, a local jazz pianist and vocalist singer who rendered jazz versions of classics such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Blue Suede Shoes, Can’t Buy Me Love and Get Here (if You Can), to name a few. Also performing that night was Junji Delfino, also local jazz vocalist and spouse to David Gomes, who sported different costumes for each song she sang, and was accompanied by four dancers in fancy and sparkling costumes.
It was well into the night when the lucky draw commenced. Prizes for the draw included a day spa package for two at The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat (sponsored by The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat), one Apple iPad mini 3 (sponsored by the Penang Bar Committee) and the grand prize: a four–day, three–night stay in a luxurious two–bedroom serviced apartment in Melbourne, Australia (sponsored by Central Equity).
The dinner–and–dance bash would not have been possible without the tireless commitment of the Organising Committee, headed by Richard Wee Thiam Seng, Secretary of the Malaysian Bar for the 2014/2015 term. The Bar Council records its thanks to the Secretary and the members of the Organising Committee — Anne Andrew, Lily Aw, Rajen Devaraj, Sangheetha Kuppusamy and Suriati Dalilan — for the enjoyable and festive gala.