Roger Chin re-elected unopposed as Sabah Law Society president
23/01/2022 05:44 PM
KOTA KINABALU, Jan 23 -- Sabah Law Society (SLS) president Roger Chin, re-elected unopposed during its 4th Annual General Meeting here, yesterday said that among its most pressing issues was to establish an International Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre for East Malaysia.
He said this would enable it to leverage on the relocation of the Indonesian capital to East Kalimantan, Sabah’s leadership role in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area and ultimately increase investor confidence in Sabah, while completing SLS’s unfinished business from the previous terms.
Chin said with the recent amendments to the Advocates Ordinance of Sabah (the Ordinance) which came into force on Jan 10, members of the Executive Committee were elected for a two-year term instead of one.
The other office bearers re-elected for the 2020/2021 term unopposed were Mohamed Nazim Maduarin as vice-president, Ryan Soo as secretary, Song Wei Wan as assistant secretary while Jamadi Saleh was elected unopposed as treasurer.
Five committee members were re-elected unopposed, namely, Wendy Lee, Chan Wai Ling, Marianne Ghani, Alvin Leong and Adrian Cham, while Dominic Ghani was elected unopposed as committee member, rounding up the complete SLS Executive Committee line-up.
Chin said the SLS would also focus on producing a Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) handbook or module on the historical and legal aspects of MA63 which would enable the public, especially the younger generation to understand its importance in the formation of Malaysia.
“SLS was entrusted by the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs Division under the purview of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs), Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili to complete this important task and this module could be the standard material for schools and public engagements,” he added.
Chin said SLS also wanted to follow up with and finalise the in principle approved land applied for its secretariat, adding that an SLS building would symbolically be a recognition of Sabah’s rights (MA63) and the state’s autonomy over the legal profession in Sabah.
“SLS will continue to expand the legal horizons beyond Sabah to capitalise on opportunities both regionally and internationally,” he said, adding that SLS wanted to continue working with the relevant government departments to review laws affecting investment.
“It wants to come up with a comprehensive checklist for foreign investors of the legal requirements for transparency and to promote investor confidence in Sabah and the rule of law.
“SLS will also focus on assisting the state government on the urgent need for law reform in the state, as many existing local laws relating to inter alia land and strata titles are outdated, having been drafted in the colonial times, and we hope the state government will be willing to move with the times.
“SLS will also introduce rules to permit law firms to practise and operate through a Group Law Practice, which will essentially allow small law firms to practise and operate as a group by sharing premises and facilities while remaining as separate entities,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
