By Pierre Lim & Wong Fook Meng
Life as a lawyer is no bed of roses. It is challenging, stressful, and let’s face it, the money isn’t that great especially if you are a young lawyer. But the rewards are there if you look hard enough.
As the Chairman of the Malacca Bar, Mr. Ng Kong Peng puts it, lawyers help to put things right. Lawyers help give custody of the children to a parent in a divorce case, lawyers help beneficiaries get what they need when a will is drafted and lawyers help purchasers get their dream homes in drawing up sales and purchase agreement. In short, it isn’t all just about Ringgit and sen or the pursuit of that coveted partnership in a top law firm.
These were points which were touched upon by Ng in his speech during the Malacca Bar Annual Dinner and Dance held at the Ramada Hotel on 11th August.
This year’s event which saw a record turn-out of 350 diners was graced by Tuan Mohtarudin bin Baki, Judge of the Malacca High Court. His Lordship noted in His Lordship’s speech that lawyers should renew their commitment to the rule of law. Lawyers must also prepare their cases well, speak clearly and maintain decorum at all times. As for members of the Bench, His Lordship said that judicial officers must listen to counsel patiently and avoid making derogatory comments from the Bench and give a fair hearing to parties in every case.
After the speeches, the crowd was entertained to a fashion show profiling our own lawyers who took up the roles of models for the evening. Forget Milan, Paris or New York as the show is here, in the Malacca Bar Runway. Many different forms of professional wear was showcased including a “safety lawyer attire” which comes complete with a contractor’s helmet ( comes in handy if the court’s ceiling leaks again).
Harith Iskandar provided the entertainment highlight of the evening with a 45 minutes stand up comedy performance. The crowd was in stitches all the time as Harith gave his witty comments on Malaysian society.
It was a fun and entertaining evening. Once a year, we get to gather under one roof as lawyers and let our hair down, a welcome change from the seriousness and solemnity of law chambers and courtrooms. It is also a tangible reminder of the solidarity that we share at the Bar.
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