eLawyer and it’s friends had a wonderful Saturday night on the 6th February 2010. The venue chosen for this event is Decanter Section 17, which is known for it’s good food and cozy ambiance at a somewhat isolated locality.

As usual these days, the “rain Gods” had decided to let loose their anger before the start of the event, but they had failed to damper the atmosphere and the mood for those who are already there.

The blackboard showing the name of the event, nicely drawn by the staff of Decanter.

The ” calm before the storm ” - the 1st floor of the restaurant before the arrival of guests.

The earliest guests started arriving at 5:30 PM, but by 6:45 PM the “floodgates” had opened and the guests came flooded in.

Pictures of Mr Eddie Law, director of eLawyer, with all the ” pretty ladies ” and ” handsome men ” of the dinner.

One of the dishes that’s on Decanter’s menu. The picture speaks a thousand words. yummy!

Right after most of the guests had their dinner, the first of our speakers took to the stage and let loose their talents in educating and entertaining the guests.

Mr Khairul Annuar of Khairul, Suhaila & Hazlina giving a talk about property law in Malaysia and promoting his book, 40 Questions You Should Ask Your Lawyer Before Buying A Residential Property In Malaysia. Follow the link here to his blog: http://kruel-legalcat.blogspot.com/2010/01/40-questions-you-should-ask-your.html

Mr Kheng Hoe of Kheng Hoe & Partners took to the stage to give a talk on how a lawyer’s personality determine his or her’s area of practice in Law. It was both insightful and entertaining.

Finally it’s Mr. Ernest B Towle’s turn. He is the Associate and Consultant of Corporate Training with Billy Kueek. He was there to give a speech about Stress management, a problem too common in modern-day life (especially for those in the Legal circle). Visit his company’s website at www.BillyKueek.com for more information.

Last but not least, it’s Lucky-draw time!

Miss Cecilia Tan had drawn the 3rd price!

Her friend, Miss Cecilia Thong, had drawn the second price!

The main price went to this lady. Congratulations, Miss Agnes Tan!

After the main events, the guests are free to mingle around and network with fellow members of the legal field. Also, Mr Eddie Law is giving out Ang Pows to departing guests!

It had really being an memorable night with friends and comrades of eLawyer. A heartfelt thanks to all our guests for coming and making it such an enjoyable night. A special thank-you to the staffs of Decanter, for their prompt service. Bring on the next year!

P.S Comments are welcomed!

In order to show our appreciation to the support of our members and to allow eLawyer members meeting face to face, eLawyer would be having a New Year Dinner Gathering 2010 at Decanter Restaurant Section 17, Petaling Jaya!

It would be held on the 6th of February (Saturday) at 6:30PM.

Front view of Decanter Section 17

This dinner gathering would be a great chance to meet, and network with, new friends or catching up on old good times with your buddies.

Besides enjoying yummy Western food, notable guest and senior practitioner have been invited to share insightful thought which would be useful to many practitioners, the topics include “How Does Personality Determine Suitable Area of Practice?” & etc…

The ambiance of the restaurant: Cozy and homely

For those wanting fresh air, a comfortable environment awaits them

A sight to behold for the alcoholic-inclined !

One of the yummy foods that’s awaiting the guests at Decanter (All the foods are Halal)

If that are not good enough, all participants would be given an Ang Pow from Mr. Eddie Law personally in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year!

In order to maximize the enjoyment of all our guests, invitations to this dinner would be kept to a maximum of 50 people. As such, registration is based on 1st come 1st serve basis.

A nominal registration fee of RM10 would be charged for every participant. The registration fee including foods (Halal) and drinks.

Therefore, please R.S.V.P by emailing your name, organisation, mobile number, occupation (e.g.lawyer or pupil in chamber or law student & etc) to donald@elawyer.com.my on or before 3^rd February 2010.

Kindly bank-in the registration fee of RM10 to our account at Agensi Pekerjaan ELS Sdn Bhd (3147481600 Public Bank) (Company registration number 808430-P,JTK2282) on or before 4th February 2010. Please keep the bank-in receipt to exchange for the entrance ticket at our reception on the event day.

Dress code: casual smart.

For for more information on this event, please contact Donald at 03-2782 5399 or 016234 1177.

The following are the maps and directions of the restaurant:

]]> http://www.elawyer.com.my/blog/elawyer-new-year-gathering-6th-february-2010/feed/ http://www.elawyer.com.my/blog/legal-career-fair-2010-dont-miss-it/ http://www.elawyer.com.my/blog/legal-career-fair-2010-dont-miss-it/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:16:58 +0000 admin http://www.elawyer.com.my/blog/?p=544

We at eLawyer are glad to be invited again to participate in this annual Legal Career Fair organised by the KL Bar Committee.

You may see our participation in the Legal Career Fair 2008 and 2009.

Below are the relevant announcement published by KL Bar at their website:

“In 2009, 617 law graduates did their pupillage in various firms in Kuala Lumpur. There are about 2,061 legal firms in Kuala Lumpur. Many of these firms are constantly on the lookout for placement of new law graduates generally to start pupillage with them and to eventually serve the firm as qualified practitioners. The opportunity for legal firms to meet these potential law graduates and potential pupils and vice versa is limited. Hence, the Pupils’ Welfare Committee (PWC) is pleased to organise the 3rd Legal Career Fair to create this valuable platform for legal firms to meet potential candidates from the legal fraternity and vice versa.

This Fair will be held on 9 January 2010 at the Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Local universities and private colleges have been invited to participate and attend the Fair. Entrance to the Fair is free and the hotel is easily accessible by public transport. There are ample parking within and around the hotel vicinity. This year, 30 booths have been made available for rental by legal firms and 6 for corporate entities.

In conjunction with the Fair, the PWC has also arranged for special speakers to talk on various current topics of interest on Islamic / Corporate Banking, Civil Litigation, ICT-related, Medical Negligence and Criminal Litigation/Human Rights Activism at various time slots throughout the day at the Fair. This is to encourage participants to understand better the realms of practice.

We welcome you, the law graduates, pupils and practitioners to attend this Fair.

The participating law firms and corporations are:

LIST OF LAW FIRMS

1. Abdul Raman Saad & Associates

2. Albar & Partners

3. Azman Davidson & Co

4. Chooi & Co

5. Halim Hong & Quek

6. Kadir Andri & Partners

7. Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

8. Michael Chai & Co

9. Mohamed Ridza & Co

10. P S Ranjan & Co

11. Raja Darryl & Loh

12. RamRais & Partners

13. Shook Lin & Bok

14. Sidek Teoh Wong & Dennis

15. Thomas Philip

16. Wong Beh & Toh

17. Zain & Co

LIST OF CORPORATE COMPANIES

1. Celcom Axiata Berhad

2. eLawyer.com.my

3. Harun M. Hashim Law Centre
International Islamic University Malaysia

4. Petronas

5. Security Commission

Pushpa Ratnam
Chairperson
Pupils Welfare Committee of KL Bar”

Please drop by at our exhibition booth to say Hello to us.

This is your Privileged Invitation to attend the 6th Annual Malaysia Land & Property Development Conference to network with Land Authority, Developers, Owners, Contractors, Architects, Valuers, Investors, Tax and Legal Experts, Transaction Advisers and all stakeholders in the Malaysian land and property market.

Land & Property Law is an extremely complex, unique and touchy issues in Malaysia. Your deal in property development may be at risk if your land acquisition and development is not administered in strict compliance with the regulatory requirements set by the different ministries in the country. Numerous land and property disputes have been brought to court here leaving a bigger impact on project profitability, partnership and delayed-completion. This is one of the critical concerns of property developers and owners found in a recent market survey.

Themed “Leveraging on new developments & Ensuring compliance in land & property administration”, Malaysia Land & Property Development conference, into its 6th successful year delivers a solution-driven agenda that addresses the complexity and uniqueness of the Malaysian land and property administration. Apart from the hot sessions on the annual review and update on regulatory requirements and land development opportunities, this year’s agenda will discuss salient points that have often landed property developers, construction companies, project partners, financiers and sponsors in court.

This is the #No 1 land & property law conference that offers:

• Perspectives from Land Authority, Developers, Valuers, Investors, Tax and Legal Experts, Transaction Advisers
• Comprehensive coverage on the latest land and property regulatory and compliance issues
• Strategic insights on the key challenges for 2010 and beyond
• Detailed discussion on critical issues and action plans in achieving a crisis-free land administration and project developments
• Opportunity to meet industry peers and networking with renowned industry leaders
• Answers to your questions and professional advice from the respected leaders in the field

PLUS a Separately Bookable - Practical Fundamental Workshops on:
Workshop A: FUNDAMENTALS OF LAND LAW FOR NON LAWYERS
Workshop B: THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC LAND LAW & ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN CONVENTIONAL LAND & PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

Register now and pay before 22 January 2010 and enjoy savings up to RM600

PLUS 10% Discount for a group of 3 or more sign ups!

Contact Details:

Conference website: http://www.abf.com.sg/project/std/project/9576MC_STD/9576M_STD.html
Contact Person: Ms. Elisabeth
Tel: (603) 2070 3299 or (65) 6536 8676
Fax: (603) 2070 3369 or (65) 6536 4356
Email: amber.chung@abf.com.sg
Website: www.abf-asia.com

CSI World Headquarters is headed for exciting times!  Inauguration of the CSI World Headquarters Malaysian Chapter in Kuala Lumpur is on the 18th of November 2009.

Member of the CSI Board of Governors and Tommy Seah, Honorary Life President of the CSI Malaysia Chapter will take their oath of office. The Interim Executive Committee will also be present for the swearing-in ceremony as they take the oath of office.

A Step-by-Step Masterclass on Cyber Crime and Digital Forensics will be organized for the next day, 19th November 2009. Cyber crime clearly is one of the hottest issues in the world today. And that’s not going to change in the foreseeable future - if ever. There is tremendous value in acquiring skills in computer forensics investigations and computer fraud risk management.

What is a Certified System Investigator (CSI)

In most cases, a CSI World Headquarters Certified member is someone who is already a professional in their respective area of expertise. This same person would have completed a further program of study and practical trainings in examining systemic risks, passed the Uniform CSI World Headquarters Examinations and obtained high standard of professional work experience in the field. Due to the high standard of this certifying program, it is becoming a much sought after benchmark in the financial market. An alternative route is made possible for the busy executive at the CSI annual conference. Attending the relevant master classes with 80% attendance will give the suitably qualified participants the fast track in becoming a CSI. Full details are available on the CSI membership application form.
This is an industrial recognition that numerous CPAs, CFEs, CFAs, etc. seek to be certified.

The program enhances their ability to communicate with other professionals in the area of:
1. Data and Digital Analysis
2. Fraud investigation
3. Financial Analysis  

Enthusiastic internal and external auditors - and IT auditors - are using the knowledge from this certification program to bring value-added services to their clients and corporations. 

Financial and IT institutions operate within global markets, where change and competitive pressures are constant. One key corporate strategy is to build up internal business competencies. Having people with the right competencies (the right knowledge, skills and attitude to perform specific job functions) who understand the markets and the operations, and can navigate through the intricacies of the market place is fundamental for financial institutions to ensure their long-term growth and success.  CSI World Headquarters Certified members would be able to meet these requirements. Our objective is to increase the existing pool of competent industrial practitioners who can perform to international standards through a series of structured hands-on training programs.

Why become a CSI?

The knowledge needed to function effectively as a Professionals, Auditor, IT Specialists and Experts, Accountants, Financial executives, Fraud Investigators, etc. in all sectors continues to expand and change at a rapid rate. As a professional, you face increased knowledge and skill expectations, as well as unprecedented scrutiny.
Continued development of professional competence and lifelong learning are critical if the professional is to meet these expectations.

A case in point

The Financial Crisis towards the end of 2008 is a plain and simple case poor regulatory supervision failure in compliance and internal audit and mismanagement of the banks.
In order for Financial Institutions to hide as much in liabilities as they wanted, all these firms had to do was to create various types of special purpose entities (SPEs) in which they did not have a controlling interest. .In other words, if Bradley-Bingly and Lehman Brothers create a company in which they each take a 50% interest, neither company, technically, has a controlling interest.
Since the mortgage-backed securities that these companies created or bought were sold to investors, in many instances these SPEs were extremely lax in their underwriting standards. Subprime, Alt-A, interest only and adjustable mortgages with very low teaser rates were given to unqualified home buyers, then packaged and sold to unwary investors. Let the buyer beware. Meanwhile, these SPEs were sending profits up to their joint owners, and executives at these companies were making big bonuses based on spectacular reported earnings.

But as the orgy of lending got so out of hand that buyers of securitized mortgages began to balk, the plans went awry. The execs in big banks couldn’t stand to let the orgy end; so, they started guaranteeing the securities in order to get them sold. These guarantees eliminated their protection from the blowback of securities gone bad. Now the liabilities could end up on their balance sheets. Not surprisingly, many did.

That’s how we got here. That’s why investors will take hits in the hundreds of billions of dollars, and why taxpayers will pay in higher taxes or higher inflation or both. A few top executives will get fired, but they’re not giving back their bonus money, even though all the profits the bonuses were based on have evaporated along with billions of dollars of market capitalization.

YOU can stop this from happening again. Be a Certified System Investigator at our forthcoming Malaysia Chapter inauguration exercise.

For more information about the event, please click at the brochure link: http://www.icfe-cg.com/cfeicg/brochure/users/Ariel/Step%20by%20Step%20-%20Understanding%20Cyber%20Crime%20and%20introduction%20-%20elawyer%20com.pdf or contact (65) 6222 9860 or email enquiry@icfe-cg.com

Melaka, 18th July 2009 – Multimedia University’s Law Society (MULS) organized the Law Seminar 2009, fifth in its series on the 18th July 2009, which fell on a Saturday. As in past years, the event was held on a grand scale, with several prominent legal figures present as the VVIPs. The speakers were The Honourable Datuk Gopal Sri Ram - Federal Court Judge of Malaysia and Associate Professor Dr. Azmi Sharom from the Faculty of Law in University of Malaya as well as MMU’s own Associate Professor. Dr. Myint Zan.

The theme for this year, was yet another ‘hot topic’ - “Government’s Role in the Implementation of Human Rights”, bearing in mind recent events and concerns that needed to be addressed in the justice system of Malaysia. The objective of the seminar was to enlighten students and the public alike on their basic human rights

The event was held in the Main Hall of Multimedia University, Melaka campus. The masters of ceremony for the seminar were Multimedia University’s very own law students namely Mr. Ali Syafiq, Miss Kesinee Aiyalu Parthasarathee, Mr. Amirul Izzat and Miss Hafiza Hamid. The seminar commenced with an opening address by Professor Dr. Zaharin Yusoff, the President of Multimedia University; followed by the Event Director, Miss Nurshahira Abdul Salim.

“Datuk Gopal Sri Ram was giving his speech”

Following that, the keynote address was given by The Honorable Datuk Gopal Sri Ram. His Lordship talked about the development of Human Rights in Malaysia and said that he believed strongly in the advancement of this particular area. His Lordship also stressed that Human Rights is not conferred by statute, but it is inherent in every human being. To support this, His Lordship quoted Finn v Attorney General, an Irish case, with the judgment from Justice Barrington, saying that: “It is arguable that these rights derive not from a man’s citizenship but from his nature as a human being. The State does not create these rights, it recognizes them, and promises to protect them.” He also noted that the function of a court under a written constitution is to interpret that document in a prismatic fashion as to derive human rights and to enforce them. There are several decisions which discusses the way in which courts should interpret a written constitution, in particular those provisions which guarantee fundamental rights or liberties, as seen in the most authoritative judgment of Lord Bingham in Reyes v The Queen where he said that “As in the case of any other instrument, the court must begin its task of constitutional interpretation by carefully considering the language used in the Constitution…” It can also be seen in the case of Dato Menteri Othman bin Baginda v Dato Ombu Syed Alwi bin Syed Idrus that the Malaysian courts prefer the literal approach to constitutional interpretation. On the other hand, the courts in Malaysia have protected human rights, mainly in the six areas to be discussed below.

The first is the right to travel abroad. By citing the case of Satwant Singh Sawhney v Ramarthnam, Assistant Passport Officer, New Delhi, the Indian Supreme Court held that the right to travel abroad is a fundamental right by virtue of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. It is derived form Article 31 of the Japanese Constitution. In Malaysia, the case of Government of Malaysia v Loh Wai Kong also protects this right by virtue of Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution.

The second right is the right of life. It is protected under Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution and can be seen in the case of Tan Tek Seng, the concept of “life” as referred in the Court of Appeal is not referred to mere existence, but it incorporates all assets. However, for all practical purposes, Tan Tek Seng remains disapproved buy the Federal Court. It follows that “life” in Article 5(1) means mere animal existence.

The third right is the right to access of justice. This is also a fundamental right encompassed in Article 5(1). The narrow interpretation in the case of Loh Wai Kong should be followed. Article 8(1) state that all persons are equal in the eyes of the law. Next in line is the right to counsel. Under Article 5(3), a detainee is entitled to two separate rights – which are to be informed of the grounds of his arrest; second is to consult an advocate of his choice. An arrest of the detainee without a warrant may only be justified only if it was on a charge which was made know n to the detainee unless the circumstances were such that the detainee must know the substance of the alleged offence. But the second, that is the right to counsel, has been diluted to such the extent that it has been rendered misleading. This all began with the case of Ooi Ah Phua v Officer-in-Charge Criminal Investigation, Kedah/Perlis. Suffian LP held in that case that the right of an arrested person to consult his lawyer begins from the moment of arrest, but the right cannot be exercised immediately after arrest. The case of Theresa Lim Chin Chin v Inspector General of Police held that whether a detainee should be permitted to consult a counsel of his choice is something that should be left to the good judgment of the authority as and when such right might not interfere with police investigation.

The right to be present at habeas corpus hearing is also one of the human rights protected by the Malaysian courts. Article 5(2) governs this right and as a course of action, as seen in the case of Lee Sew Kai v Menteri Dalam Negeri Malaysia, a detainee is entitled to file affidavit evidence in support of his application for habeas corpus. He is also entitled to apply to cross examine the deponent of any affidavit filed in opposition. In this case, such application was permitted. The last right is the right to administrative fairness. This is both constitutional and statutory compliant. Compared to other countries, a Malaysian has no right to receive administrative fairness as proven in the case of Sugumar Balakrishnan as it was held that there is no statutory duty on a public authority to give reasons, and then even if it gives irrelevant or irrational reasons for its decision, the court cannot scrutinize it. It was also held in the same case that there is no power in a court to undertake a substantive review of a public law decision. His Lordship ended his address by asking the audience to decide for themselves whether there has been any development of Human Rights in Malaysia.

“Eddie Law and the head of MMU Law & Business Faculty and the lectures”

The guests then adjourned for refreshments. During this interval, a short period was allocated to the nominees of the MULS High Committee 2009/2010 to give a little introduction about themselves for the High Committee election before the MULS Annual General Meeting in August.

“Associate Professor Dr. Azmi Sharom”

The Seminar then continued with, the second speaker for the day, Associate Professor Dr. Azmi Sharom, a distinguished law lecturer from the Faculty of Law in University of Malaya, who spoke on “Viability of Human Rights Act in Malaysia”. Dr. Azmi Sharom gave a fiery speech which kept the audience very captivated. He began his speech by asking the audience whether or not we should have a Human Rights Act in Malaysia. His opinion was prima facie (on the face of it), yes but if we were to look deep into the current justice system position in Malaysia, the wisest decision is not to have a Human Rights Act, at least not right now.

He duly noted that there are plenty of laws in Malaysia that disrespects the Human Rights such as the Internal Security Act amongst many others. Dr. Azmi Sharom justified why he believes that the Human Rights Act should not be implemented in Malaysia. The reasons being, firstly, there are many limitations in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia which would prevent the Human Rights Act from being implemented effectively. The limitations which the Federal Constitution provides will render the rights in the HRA futile. Another reason was that the implicit provisions will be made explicit and there will be a quiet distortion of the legal system.

Dr. Azmi Sharom also commented that Malaysia Is turning into a theocracy state – by the statements made by the former Prime Ministers of Malaysia, all of them who declared the Malaysia is not a secular state, but rather an Islamic one. He questioned the issue of freedom of religion citing the case of Lina Joy – are Muslims in Malaysia free to change their religion? The audience was left to construe the meaning behind the legislation of Article 11 of the FC themselves. Dr. Azmi Sharom ended his presentation with a firm stand, saying that change has to come by ensuring the government understands the freedom given in the Federal Constitution and that people will make a difference. It will be best if we fix what we have rather than disrespecting yet another new legislation.

“Associate Professor Dr. Myint Zan”

The final speaker for the event was Multimedia University’s very own Associate Professor Dr. Myint Zan. His presentation was entitled “Human Rights: Brief Glimpses of the Past, Current Trends and Hopes for the Future”. Dr. Myint Zan began his presentation with three quotations by Baruch Spinoza (also known as the God-intoxicated philosopher), Mr. Karpal Singh – about his views on freedom after speech in Malaysia and thirdly a quote from by Ronald Reagan, former president of the United States, saying “Government is not the solution but government is the problem.”.

He also stated that his presentation is not focusing on Malaysia and mainly on ‘other’ governments the government’s role in the implementation of Human Rights is not to violate them and they can be the problem rather than the solution. Just as there are laws which can be said to protect, promote or implement Human Rights there are, in various countries around the world, laws which can be said or have been asserted to violate human rights. One role a government can ‘play’ at the international level and also at the domestic level is to become parties to major international conventions on Human Rights though it can be said that the mere fact that a government is a party to an international treaty concerning human rights is not necessarily a guarantee that, that government respect, protect or promote the human rights of its citizens. He also commented that recently Malaysia had taken several encouraging steps such as the establishment of the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), steps taken to ‘restore’ or enhance the independence of the judiciary, slight encouragement to engage in discourse on ‘sensitive’ issues in public forum but in a ‘sensitive way’, relatively more ‘press freedom’ but retrograde movements recently (although this is highly debatable), attempts by cabinet to resolve or to device methods of solving conversion into (and out of?) Islam in a satisfactory manner, liberalizing or reducing the more harsh or restrictive provisions of the Universities and Colleges Act (if they have not already been amended) and the recognition of the indigenous land rights. Dr. Myint Zan also mentioned issues that have been almost continually raised by human rights activists, opposition politicians and some citizens and he gave some constructive suggestions as to improve the Human Rights protection in Malaysia and he concluded his speech by saying that if the suggestions above cannot be correctly described as ‘trends’, projections or ‘glimpses’ of the best case scenarios of the future they could then they remain and can be described as ‘hopes’, at the very least.

“Datuk Gopal Sri Ram was talking to the law students before his departure”

At the conclusion of the presentation, several challenging questions were posed to the speakers by the audience, which they answered eloquently and satisfactorily. A further highlight to the event was the much awaited Lucky Draw Session, which had several exciting prizes. The seminar concluded with a closing speech by Madam Flora Teichner, the Head of the Multimedia University Law School and the presentations of token of appreciation to the sponsors of the Law Seminar. Thereafter, all guests were invited to a luncheon followed by a photography session to commemorate the event. All in all, the Law Seminar was a tremendous success and each and every one present benefited from it. The organizing committee deserves hearty congratulations for a well organized and excellent event. Let’s hope that this success will continue with each MULS Law Seminar organizing committee taking these seminars to greater heights.

Remark: Mr Eddie Law of eLawyer.com.my was invited as VIP to attend this event and eLawyer has set up a booth on that day too.

Date: 5th & 6th October 2009
Venue: Parkroyal, KL
Time: 8.30am – 5.30pm
Organiser: Marcus Evans
Contact: 603-2723 6757
Email: CatherineF@marcusevanskl.com
Website: www.marcusevans.com
Brochure:www.marcusevansassets.com/doc/pdfs/Ep_14994.pdf  

Synopsis:

Companies are operating in an environment that will present new opportunities and threats. Many are feeling the impact of the credit crunch, experiencing a different relationship with the regulator, yet they still have to make sure that excellent services are delivered. The professional duties of company secretaries have grown in leaps and bounds. Company secretary thus plays a pivotal role in advising the board of directors concerning disclosures, accountability and transparency issues. Although the company secretary is not involved in managerial task, yet he is implicated as a defaulter or offender of a law by virtue of his position as an officer of the company.

Marcus Evans’ ‘COSEC 2009: 4th Annual Company Secretary’ conference will bring together world class company secretaries to discuss the current concerns in enhancing governance, transparency and accountability standards while adding value to the growth of organisations. Leading industry case studies and best practices will be presented at the event to assist in building effective governance & compliance, managing directors’ and shareholders’ expectations and coping with the evolving responsibilities and liabilities of a company secretary.

This conference also highlights the participation of representatives from local and international companies such as Bursa Malaysia (Malaysia), British Telecommunications Group PLC (UK), Maxis Communication Berhad (Malaysia), StarHub (Singapore), Malayan Banking Berhad (Malaysia), Ayala Corporation (Philippines), Western Power (Australia), Siemens Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia), Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (Philippines), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Australia), KUB Berhad (Malaysia), Nestle Group of Companies (Malaysia), Wah Seong Corporation Berhad (Malaysia), Opus Group Berhad, subsidiary of UEM Group Berhad (Malaysia), HeiTech Padu (Malaysia), SIRIM Berhad (Malaysia) and among others.

For further event details and event brochure, kindly contact Ms. Catherine Foo at the contact details above.

Professor Abu Bakar Munir & Eddie Law

Below is the power point slide presentation used by Prof Abu Bakar Munir during the lecture:

Synopsis of Lecture

After a long wait of more than a decade, on 17 June 2009, the Deputy Minister of the Information, Communication and Culture announced in Parliament that the Personal Data Protection Bill is to be presented for the first reading in October 2009. The Deputy Minister stated, “We are determined to get it done this year. This Act is vital in protecting our privacy and to safeguard personal information”. This law affects almost every individual and organization, public or private, as data is the ‘bread and butter’ of an organization. The law also gives certain rights to individuals whose data are collected. This talk provides an overview of the international data protection instruments. It discusses the approaches adopted by the different jurisdictions in protecting personal data. In conclusion, it elaborates on the salient features of a data protection law and its effects and impact on an organization.

Speaker’s Profile

Abu Bakar Munir is an internationally renowned scholar, expert and consultant on ICT Law and data protection. He is a Professor of Law and the former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya. He is the author of several books; Privatisation (1992), Cyberlaw: Policies and Challenges (1999), Privacy and Data Protection (2002), Internet Banking: Law and Practice (2004) and Information, Communication and Technology Law (2009) (in print). He has published articles widely on ICT Law, Air and Space Law and Nanotechnology Law. He speaks extensively at conferences around the globe including those organized by universities such as the Oxford, Cambridge and MIT.

Professor Abu Bakar Munir has been widely consulted by governments and private entities around the world. He was seconded as the IT Law Adviser and Principal Consultant to the Government of Dubai, UEA where he led an international team of consultants in developing and drafting several IT legislation to facilitate the Dubai Internet City, a multi-billion dollar IT project. He is currently the Adviser to the Government of Malaysia on data protection. Since 2007, he has been actively involved and instrumental in developing and drafting the above-mentioned Bill. He is also an Adviser to the Government of Indonesia and has recently completed drafting the Personal Data Protection Bill for the Republic.

He is a member of the United Nations ICT Policy and Internet Governance Working Group and a Council Member of the Asia Pacific Privacy Charter Council (APPCC). He is also an Expert to the Amicus Legal Consultants Ltd. London and an ICT Law Consultant to Dr. Colin Ong Legal Services, Brunei Darussalam. He is affiliated to many other organizations and is also a Visiting Professor at several universities, nationally and internationally.

Asia Business Forum has organized Oil and Gas Legal Regulatory Challenges Conference which will be held in KL, Istana Hotel on 27-28 October 2009.

This conference will showcase best practices and solutions shared by Oil and Gas companies and Legal Practitioners with wealth of experience from across the region. Range of topics includes merger & acquisition, environmental issues, regulatory applications, contractual issues, dispute resolution and arbitration and many more. Take this opportunity to raise questions and take away strategic updates on Legal issues involved in Oil and Gas; an excellent platform to network with your peers in the industry and definitely a conference worth your investment.

PLUS Sign up for a separately bookable ½-day Post-Conference Workshop on “Legal and Regulatory issues in HSE: International HSE Protocols and Agreements that affect the Oil and Gas industry”. This workshop will give you in-sights on international HSE treaties and procols and the legal liability of non-compliance standards.

Thought provoking, content rich event packed with successful case studies,
this Oil & Gas Conference is one industry event you won’t want to miss!

Register now and pay before 25 September 2009 and enjoy Early Bird Savings US$200 per delegate

PLUS 10% Discount for a group of 3 or more sign ups!

Contact Details
Link to Conference Program: http://www.abf-asia.com/project/2005MC_EL.pdf
Contact Person: Ms. Puvanes
Tel : (603) 2070 3299
Fax: (603) 2070 3369
Email: puvanes@abf-asia.com
Website: www.abf-asia.com

Once thought to be recession-proof, the legal profession is now in a recession. Firms - big and small, conservative and highly leveraged, all feel the business pressure from the economic downturn. A drop in profits, declining spending for legal services by corporations, attorney layoffs and a major competitive threat from law firms are now the order of the day. Does your law firm have what it takes to be recession resistant?

To help ensure you are in the best position to give the leadership your firm will require during this difficult period, Asia Business Forum is pleased to invite you to join our 3rd Annual Asia Pacific Management Conference at the Royal Plaza on Scotts Hotel, Singapore on 29-30 September 2009; the one and only event that will equip you with practical strategic insights to stay competitive and sustain your law firm’s growth and profitability in the current economic downturn. Do not miss this rare opportunity to meet key legal experts from Asia Pacific, all in one place to discuss broad range of topics in successfully managing law firms and overcoming a wide range of issues facing law firms of all sizes during today’s challenging times.

What Makes This Conference Different From Other Law Firm Conferences?

· A Panel of 25 Speakers from International, Regional, Local and Boutique Law Firms including:

o Deacons, Australia

o Clayton Utz, Australia

o Corrs, Chambers & Westgarth, Australia

o Pinsent Masons, Hong Kong

o Dechert, Hong Kong

o Wikborg Rein

o DFDL Mekong, Vietnam

o DFDL Mekong/Mekong Law Group, Thailand

o Drew & Napier

o Lovells Lee & Lee

o Shook Lin & Bok

o Zul Rafique & Partners, Malaysia

o Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & Partners, Indonesia

o SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan, Philippines

o And many more!

· A Unique Gathering of Leading Law Firms’ Leaders and Senior Partners from 8 Asia Pacific Countries – Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam

· More strategic Take-Away Than Ever Before – Find out all the topical issues you need to know in managing law firms including:

o Singapore’s legal sector liberalisation

o Optimal efficiency for maximum profitability during Global Financial Crisis

o Cross-border strategic alliances

o Client retention management

o Best talent recruitment and retention strategies

o Rainmakers’ compensation strategies

o Law firm management in the emerging markets

o Paralegal deployment

o Risk management

o Due diligence

o Knowledge management

o Law firm’s payment model

o Law firms use of Web 2.0 applications

o Marketing and brand management

o Succession planning

o Future outlook for law firms

o External lawyers’ outsourcing criteria

· 4 Interactive Content-Led Roundtables to Allow You to Hear the Opinions of:

o Managing Partners

o In-House Counsels

o Gen-Y Lawyers

· A Cutting Edge Industry-Driven Topics with 18 Hours of Learning and Experience Sharing

· Ample of Networking Opportunities

This conference will be of vital interest to firms that are ready, willing and able to shift gears into a more productive business model. With the experts’ advice, the transition should be easier.

Don’t Delay, Mark your calendar today!

Book Your Seat Now to Enjoy Our SPECIAL EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!

(SAVE S$ 400 for registration and payment received by 29 July 2009)

Click here to for more details of The 3rd Annual Asia Pacific Law Firm Management Conference.

Call us (Asia Business Forum) now at (65) 6536 8676 or (65) 6536 8437 or fax at (65) 6536 4356 or email our customer service at cs@abf-asia.com