Panellists

Welcoming Address

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Karen Cheah Yee Lynn

President, Malaysian Bar


Opening Address

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The Right Honourable Justice Tun Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat

Chief Justice, Federal Court of Malaysia


Special Address

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His Highness Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin Ibni Tuanku Muhriz

Founding President, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (“IDEAS”)


Keynote Address

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The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Prime Minister of Malaysia

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Christopher Leong

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2013–2015) (Moderator)


Plenary 1

Intersection of Rule of Law and Human Rights in Malaysia: Unlocking Opportunities for a Democratic Future

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Phil Robertson

Deputy Director, Asia Division, Human Rights Watch

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Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2007–2009)

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Lim Wei Jiet

Former Co-Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee; Advocate and Solicitor, Lim Wei Jiet

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Shanmuga Kanesalingam

Partner, Kanesalingam & Co


Plenary 2

Championing Pro Bono: Mobilising the Legal Profession to Make a Difference

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Ragunath Kesavan

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2009–2011); Commissioner, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (“SUHAKAM”)

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Ravi Nekoo

Former Chairperson, Bar Council National Legal Aid Committee

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Petra Oon Beng Ai

Former Chairperson, Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (Penang)

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Dato’ Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2019–2020); Co-Chairperson, Bar Council National Legal Aid and YBGK Committee


Plenary 3

Exploring Diversity and Inclusion

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Santhi Latha

Immediate Past President, Association of Women Lawyers (2021–2023); Dean, Rajah & Tann Asia Academy

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Angela Conway

Principal, Lady Justice Initiative, LLC, USA

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Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali

Partner, Law Practice of Rafique

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Dr Vizla Kumaresan

Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Ara Damansara Medical Centre

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Anand Raj

Secretary, Malaysian Bar

Plenary 4

Generative AI: Opportunity or Threat?

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Min Chen

Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Asia Pacific, LexisNexis

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Gaythri Raman

Managing Director, LexisNexis Southeast Asia

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Adilah Junid

Director, Legal and Government Affairs, Microsoft Malaysia

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Benjamin Cheong

Deputy Head, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Rajah & Tann Singapore

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Izwan Zakaria

Managing Partner, Izwan & Partners


Plenary 5

Hard Talk: The Economy - On Track or Sidetracked?

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YB Tuan Mohd Rafizi Ramli

Minister of Economy, Malaysia

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Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Emeritus Professor, Universiti Malaya

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Shakira Teh Sharifuddin

Senior Economist, World Bank

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Dato’ Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar

President, The National Human Rights Society (“HAKAM”)


Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 1 | Stream A

Prospect and Viability of Small Firm Practice: Is Affiliation and Group Practice the Next Logical Step?

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Lisa Sam Hui Min

Vice-President, The Law Society of Singapore

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Isaac Chan

Barrister, Rede Chambers, Hong Kong

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R Jayabalan

Chairperson, Bar Council Small Firms Practice Committee; Advocate and Solicitor, R Jayabalan

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Nahendran Navaratnam

Advocate and Solicitor, Navaratnam Chambers

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Allen Miranda Emmanuel

Co-Deputy Chairperson, Small Firms Practice Committee; Partner, Suraiya Arif, Miranda & Tan


Breakout Session 1 | Stream B

Legal Practice within the Asian Region: Tackling Disparity and Commonality of Legal Systems

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Steven Thiru

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2015–2017)

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Dato' Azmi Mohd Ali

Council Member, Bar Council

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Nixon Sipahutar

Bidang Kerjasama Internasional, Sekretaris, PERADI, Indonesia

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H R Dipendra

Chairperson, Bar Council International Professional Services Committee


Breakout Session 1 | Stream C

Waqf: The Legal and Regulatory Framework Needed for Implementation

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The Honourable Dr Arik Sanusi bin Yeop Johari

Judge, High Court of Malaya at Kangar

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Mohd Bahroddin Badri

Shariah Specialist cum Head Shariah Advisory, ISRA Consulting

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Umar Munshi

Founder, Ethis Global

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Sharifah Shafika Alsagoff

Co-Chairperson, Bar Council Islamic Finance Committee


Breakout Session 2 | Stream A

Cross-Border and Domestic Mediation: Opportunities and Challenges in the Future for Dispute Resolution and Transactional Lawyers

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Datuk Vernon Ong Lam Kiat

Former Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia

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Melissa K Pang

President, LAWASIA; Immediate Past President, The Hong Kong Law Society

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Sujatha Sekhar Naik

Chairman, Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance

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Francis Goh

Chairman, Advocacy Committee, The Law Society of Singapore

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Shanti Abraham

Chair, Investor-State Mediation Task Force of the International Mediation Institute


Breakout Session 2 | Stream B

The Development of the Law on Discovery / eDiscovery Pre- and Post-Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis

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R Rishi

Advocate and Solicitor, Rishi & Partners

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Michael Armstrong

Senior Associate, Eversheds Sutherland, United Kingdom

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Linda Misbah

Senior Project Manager, Alexander Holburn, Canada

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The Honourable Dato’ Azizul Azmi bin Adnan

Judge, Court of Appeal, Malaysia


Breakout Session 2 | Stream C

From Innovation to Access: Empowering Lawyers and Communities through Emerging Technologies

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Adeline Chin

Co-Chairperson, Asia-Pacific Legal Innovation and Technology Association (“ALITA”); Chief Operating Officer, Chambers Lab

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Jennifer Lim Wei Zhen

Co-Founder, LawTech.Asia and eTPL.Asia, Singapore

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Michael Lees

Chief Operating Officer, Rajah & Tann Technologies, Singapore

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Suaran Singh Sidhu

Partner, LAW Partnership


Breakout Session 3 | Stream A

Out of the Mouth of Babes: Interviewing Children in Custody Disputes

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The Honourable Puan Evrol Mariette Peters

Judge, High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur (Family)

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Dr Diana-Lea Baranovich

Consultant Psychotherapist and Diagnostician

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Judge Ida Malosi

Principal Youth Court Judge, District Court of New Zealand

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Siew Choon Jern

Co-Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Family Law Committee


Breakout Session 3 | Stream B

Regulating The Online Marketplace and Intellectual Property Issues Concerning Counterfeit Goods Sold Online

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Joshua Teoh Beni Chris

Partner, Skrine

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Kostas Fintrilis

Head of Assortment, Content, Ads, and IP Governance, Lazada Group (Singapore)

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Wong Jin Nee

Partner, Wong Jin Nee & Teo

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Cindy Goh Joo Seong

Chairperson, Bar Council Intellectual Property Committee


Breakout Session 3 | Stream C

Sports Policy, Governance, and Regulation

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YB Hannah Yeoh

Minister of Youth and Sports

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Richard Wee Thiam Seng

Chairperson, Bar Council Professional Standards and Development Committee


6th Raja Aziz Addruse Memorial Lecture

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Dato’ Dr Cyrus V Das

Past President, Malaysian Bar (1997–1999); Chair, Constitutional & Rule of Law Committee, LAWASIA

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 4 | Stream A

Digitalisation of Land Transactions in Malaysia - Are We Ready?

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The Honourable Puan Adlin binti Abdul Majid

Judicial Commissioner, High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur (NCC 6)

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Raja Azmi Adam

Country Director, Google for Education – Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei

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Anesh Ganason

Principal Assistant Director, Policies and Consultation Division, Department of Director General of Lands and Mines (Federal)

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Sathish Ramachandran

Member, Bar Council Conveyancing Practice Committee; Partner, Deol & Gill

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Datuk Roger Tan

Former Chairperson, Bar Council Conveyancing Practice Committee; Co-Chairperson, Committee on Reform to the Legal Sector / LPA Amendments


Breakout Session 4 | Stream B

Sustainable Futures: The Importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance Practices

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Edmund Bon

Partner, AmerBon

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Lim Koon Huan

Partner, Skrine

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Elias Moubarak

Head, Banking and Finance (Partner), Trowers and Hamlins (Malaysia)

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The Honourable Tuan Kenneth St James

Judicial Commissioner, High Court of Malaya at Penang (OCVC 2)


Breakout Session 4 | Stream C

The Continued Evolution of Fintech and Insurtech in Malaysia: The Need to Regulate, Govern, and Manage the Industry in Malaysia

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Jonathan Lim Hon Kiat

Partner, Zaid Ibrahim & Co

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Lau Chin Ching

Director, Financial Development and Innovation, Bank Negara Malaysia

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Ruslena Ramli

Director, Digital Finance and Islamic Digital Economy, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (“MDEC”)

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Eddy Wong

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VSure Insurance

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Darren Lai

Partner, Richard Wee Chambers


Plenary 6

Words that Wound: The Legal Dilemma of Regulating Hate Speech and Fake News in the Digital Age

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Dr Venkat Iyer

Barrister; Former Law Commissioner for Northern Ireland; Editor, The Commonwealth Lawyer

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Dato’ Yeo Yang Poh

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2005–2007)


Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 5 | Stream A

Shaping the Future of Syariah Legal Practice: Opportunities and Challenges under the Syarie Legal Profession (Federal
Territories) Act 2019

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Musa b Awang

President, Malaysia Syariah Lawyers Association

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Zainal Abidin b Shaik Zakaria

Co-Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Syariah Law Committee

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Majdah bt Muda

Advocate and Solicitor, Muda

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Fahri Azzat

Co-Chairperson, Bar Council Syariah Law Committee


Breakout Session 5 | Stream B

Navigating Corporate Rescues

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The Honourable Tuan Nadzarin bin Wok Nordin

Judge, High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur

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Victor Saw Seng Kee

Deals Leader, PwC Malaysia

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Andrew Chiew Ean Vooi

Partner, Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

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Ira Biswas

Partner, Chooi & Company


Breakout Session 5 | Stream C

Blockchain / Cryptocurrency and Its Interrelationship with the Legal Systems

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Dato’ Seri Rajan Navaratnam

Consultant, Shahrizat Rashid & Lee

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Dr Wong Wai Wai

Legal Researcher, Foong & Co; Law Lecturer

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Jessica Chuah

Country Manager (Malaysia), Chainalysis

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Deepak Pillai

Partner, Christopher & Lee Ong


Breakout Session 6 | Stream A

Effective Advocacy: Exploring the Future

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The Honourable Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan

Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia

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The Honourable Datuk Vazeer Alam bin Mydin Meera

Judge, Court of Appeal, Malaysia

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Raja Eileen Soraya

Chairperson, Bar Council Advocacy Training Committee

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Alan Wong Teck Wei

Partner, Zain Megat & Murad

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Foo Joon Liang

Partner, Gan Partnership


Laws for an Ageing Nation: Improved Laws and New Laws

Breakout Session 6 | Stream B

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YB Tuan Ramkarpal Singh

Deputy Minister, Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Malaysia

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Daniel Koh

Former Judge, Family Justice Court, Singapore

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Dr Nurashikin Ibrahim

Head, National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health; Public Health Physician, Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia

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Assoc Prof Dr Prem Kumar Chandrasekaran

Consultant Neuropsychiatrist; Head of Neuro-Behavioural Medicine Services, Penang Adventist Hospital

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Carolyn Oh Li Lin

Council Member, Bar Council


Breakout Session 6 | Stream C

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: Implications and Opportunities for Courts

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Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima David Wong Dak Wah

Former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak

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Roger Chin Ken Fong

President, Sabah Law Society

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Janet Toh Yoong San

Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Technology, Cyber and Privacy Law Committee

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Dato’ A J Surin

Partner, Adnan, Sundra & Low


Plenary 7

Malaysia as a Safe Arbitration Seat: Cultivating Trust, Efficiency, and Reliability in Dispute Resolution

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Mohanadass Kanagasabai

Managing Partner, Mohanadass Partnership

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Kamraj Nayagam

Partner, Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh

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Crystal Wong Wai Chin

Partner, Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

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Heather Yee Jing Wah

Assistant Director, Asian International Arbitration Centre

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session 7 | Stream A

Quo Vadis Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution: Charting the Course Locally and Globally

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Ooi Huey Miin

President, Malaysia Institute of Arbitrators (“MIArb”)

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K Shanti Mogan

Head, Arbitration & Mediation, Shearn Delamore & Co.

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Ng Jern-Fei

King’s Counsel (England & Wales); Advocate, Duxton Hill Chambers (Singapore); Arbitrator, Temple Chambers (Hong Kong SAR)

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Dato’ Varghese George

Former Judge, Court of Appeal, Malaysia


Breakout Session 7 | Stream B

Empowering Malaysia’s Migrant and Refugee Policies: A Call for Reset

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Dato’ Sri M Ramachelvam

Co-Chairperson, Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee

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Kendra Rinas

Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration

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Thomas Albrecht

Representative, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur

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Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna

Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee


Breakout Session 7 | Stream C

Navigating Legal Currents: Understanding Recent Developments in Shipping and Admiralty Law and Their Relevance to General Commercial Practice

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Professor Jason Chuah

Dean, Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya

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Jeremy M Joseph

Partner, Joseph and Partners

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Trishelea Ann Sandosam

Partner, Wong & Partners


Breakout Session 8 | Stream A

Exploring Contemporary Issues in Criminal Law: Perspectives and Insights

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Latheefa Koya

Former Chief Commissioner, Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (“MACC”)

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Dato’ Dr P Sundramoorthy

Associate Professor (Honorary) / Criminologist, Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (“CenPRIS”), Universiti Sains Malaysia

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SAC S Shanmugamoorthy Chinniah

Chief Assistant Director, D4 Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman

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Dato’ Rajpal Singh Mukhtiar Singh

Former Co-Chairperson, Bar Council Criminal Law Committee


Breakout Session 8 | Stream B

Contemporary Working Norms: Is Malaysia Ready?

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The Honourable Tuan Anand Ponnudurai

Judge, High Court of Malaya at Penang (Civil)

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Selvamalar Alagaratnam

Partner, Skrine

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Mayank Francis Dias

Advocate, Michaael Dias & Associates, India

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Janice Anne Leo

Partner, Steven Thiru & Sudhar Partnership


Breakout Session 8 | Stream C

NFTs in e-Commerce and The Metaverse / Digital Assets

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Tracy Wong

Partner, Christopher & Lee Ong

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Rajesh Sreenivasan

Head, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Rajah & Tann LLP, Singapore

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Nick De Marco KC

Barrister, Blackstone Chambers, UK

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Natalie Lim Yen Kuan

Partner, Skrine


Breakout Session 9 | Stream A

Publicity vs Advertisement: Challenges and Opportunities

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Sarah Yong Li Hsien

Council Member, Bar Council

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Benjamin Foo

Council Member, The Law Society of Singapore

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Chen Kah Leng

Consultant, Skrine

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Yusfarizal Yussoff

Co-Chairperson, IMLC 2023 Organising Committee


Breakout Session 9 | Stream B

Litigation Funding

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The Honourable Tuan Su Tiang Joo

Judicial Commissioner, High Court of Malaya at Kuala Lumpur (NCVC 3)

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Victor Dawes SC

Chairman, Hong Kong Bar Association

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Tom Glasgow

Managing Director / Chief Investment Officer (APAC); Portfolio Manager - Global International Arbitration, OMNI Bridgeway, Singapore

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Rosli Dahlan

Partner, Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership

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Shamala Devi Balasundaram

Partner, Chooi & Company


Breakout Session 9 | Stream C

Cybersecurity Today: Where We Stand and What Lies Ahead

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Danny Wong

Vice President, Marsh Specialty & FINPRO, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia)

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Foong Cheng Leong

Advocate and Solicitor, Foong Cheng Leong & Co

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Joanie Ko

Partner, APAC Head of Cyber & Data Privacy, Kennedys, Hong Kong

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Arati Varma

Head of Financial, Professional & Casualty, QBE Insurance Group, Singapore

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Kenny Lai Choe Ken

Partner, Choong Meng Sze & Lai


Breakout Session 10 | Stream A

Is There a Glass Ceiling for Women in Practice?

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Lubna Shuja

President, Law Society of England and Wales

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Foo Yet Ngo

Past President, Association of Women Lawyers (2009–2011)

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S Saravana Kumar

Partner, Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership

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Sheena Gurbakhash

Past President, Association of Women Lawyers (2019–2021)


Breakout Session 10 | Stream B

Liability of a Law Practitioner: An Attempt to Identify and Balance between Privilege, Secrecy, and Compliance Under the AMLA Regime

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Kamal Baharin b Omar

Deputy Director-General, National Anti-Financial Crime Centre

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Dr Aspalella A Rahman

Associate Professor, School of Law, Universiti Utara Malaysia

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S Suressh

Chairperson, Anti-Money Laundering Committee, The Law Society of Singapore

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Babu Raj Raja Gopal

Deputy Chairperson, Bar Council Committee on AMLA


Breakout Session 10 | Stream C

Alternative Modes of Practice: Locum/Multidisciplinary

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Jason Chan SC

Vice President, The Law Society of Singapore

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Philip Koh Tong Ngee

Adjunct Professor, Universiti Malaya and Monash Malaysia; Senior Partner, Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh

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Peter Godwin

Managing Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills

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Ravinder Singh Dhalliwal

Chairperson, Bar Council Personal Injury Claims and Awards Committee


Plenary 8

Challenges to Legal Education: Where Are We At?

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Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi

Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair Holder, Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya

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Prof Dato’ Dr Mohammad Shatar Sabran

Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Qualifications Agency

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Salim Bashir

Past President, Malaysian Bar (2020–2021)

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Kashmirjit Kaur Harbans

Head, Postgraduate Department, Advance Tertiary College

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Dr Rozilini Mary Fernandez-Chung

Associate Professor and Executive Director, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia


Closing Remarks

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Desmond Ho Chee Cheong

Co-Chairperson, IMLC 2023 Organising Committee