FAMILY MEDIATION COURSE

The Bar Council Malaysian Mediation Centre (MMC) will be organising the above Course to better enhance the skills of Mediators in family cases. The details of the Course are as follows :-

Date: 21-23rd July, 2008

Time: 8.45am-5.30pm (tbc)

Venue: Bar Council Auditorium Trainers:

a) Prof. Don Peters - Director, Institute for Dispute Resolution & Professor of Law at
the University of Florida Levin College of Law.
b) Dr. Martha M Peters – Director Academic Achievement Program, University of Iowa College Of Law

The programme details will be forwarded to the participants in due course.

Should you require any further information, please contact Marianna or Cik Mazni at Tel. No.: 03-20313003 extns.: 148/101

Annual Penang-Perak Bar Games

Dear Members,

We refer to the above matter and we enclose herewith the list of convenors for the games listed. Kindly contact them should you be interested in participating in the games.

Name Tel. No.

1) Hockey - Jagjit Singh 012-5058469

2) Badminton - Chong Kok Yew 012-5229022

3) Cricket - Purshotamdas Nathermal (Kiko) 012-5217611

4) Tennis - Kenny Lai 012-5151979

5) Football - Fey Aqis 012-5247334

6) Futsal - Nahtan Krishnan 019-5597645

7) Darts - Sakthivel 012-4315745

8) Snooker - Sakthivel 012-4315745

9) Basketball - Stephen Su 012-5543366

10) Volleyball - Janet Wong 012-5223513

11) Netball - Ruzita Binti Sarbani 017-5771737

12) Bowling - Amy Zairy 012-5794838

13) Golf - Dalgit Singh 019-5505747

Kindly note that the games have been fixed for the 19^th and 20^th July, 2008. The tentative schedule for the games are as follows:-

Saturday (19/7/2008)

1) Golf 8.00 am – 12.00 pm

2) Tennis 9.00 am – 11.00 am

3) Futsal 2.00 pm – 3.00 pm

4) Badminton 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm

5) Netball 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm

6) Volleyball 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm

7) Football 5.30 pm – 6.30 pm

8) Hockey 5.30 pm – 6.30 pm

9) Darts During dinner

Sunday (20/7/2008)

1) Basketball 9.00 am – 10.00 am

2) Bowling 10.00 am – 12.00 pm

3) Cricket 11.30 am – 1.00 pm

4) Snooker 10.00 am – 11.00 am

We hope to see more members at the said games either by participation or by way of support in order to make this event a successful one.

Further details on the dinner will follow soon.

Thank you and see you soon.

Yours faithfully,

_________________________

Kenny Lai Choe Ken

Sports Committee Chairman 2008/2009

NEW CONTAGIOUS DISEASES IN MALAYSIA

The Malaysian Ministry of Health is now asking the public to be on the lookout for symptoms of the following new contagious diseases.

ASSMA
Severe rashes around the mouth caused by kissing too much ass. The number-one disease in Malaysia amongst civil service.

DIAL-ARRHOEA
Uncontrollable urge to continually dial friends on mobile phone to share with them such important information as 'I'm now on the monorail'or 'I'm walking towards the car.' Victims can be recognized by large, twitching thumb.

MEESLES
Blotchy skin condition caused by eating too many packets of instant noodles.

MULTIPLE SPOUSOSIS
Affliction whereby victims make frequent trips to Vietnam,Thailand,Indonesia, and China to take on additional brides. Middle-aged men are at significant risk.

YELLOW FEVER
Compulsion to date Chinese women. Very common affliction amongst Indian men and caucasian expatriates working in Malaysia. Also known as Pinkerton's Disease.

EKOR-TOTONUS
Flushed complexion, high blood pressure and sometimes depression at finding out one has not won any gaming numbers and lotteries.

HEAVYTITIS
Excessively large breasts. This disease comes in several variant strains…….. Heavytitis C; Heavytitis D; Heavytitis DD, and sometimes Heavytitis F...or even G.

CYBERTENSION
Feelings of stress and panic caused by lack of internet access.

DYEBETES
A compulsive need to colour one's hair. Reddish brown tints are the most common symptom, but health authorities have reported a new strain of blond highlights.

CHICKEN TOX
Victims exhibit a great need to tokkok. Highly contagious. Spread by ordinary conversation, and may be exacerbated by good food and alcohol. Politicians and lawyers are especially susceptible. Incurable.

ITCHINIA
The urge in some men after reaching 40 to go for young chicks. This disease spreads fast among those with money and position and cuts across both government and business people. Beware of those who take trips out under the pretext of duty or business. This is a dangerous symptom that the disease may already have taken hold.

Perak Bar Family Day Trip to Sunway Lost World Ipoh

The day started off with many an obstacle. There was a big traffic jam with road closures due to the discovery of a World War 2 bomb on the road to Sunway Ipoh. There was also a couple of last minute pull outs from a couple of participants but the few that ploughed on despite the adversities faced found the trip well worth their time and effort as well as money well spent!

The children looked like they enjoyed themselves tremendously riding the pirate ship, the spinning wheel as well as the various slides and generally playing in the water and the sand building sandcastles and the like.

There was also a surprise for the single men of the Perak Bar who turned up as unbeknownst to us, Miss Malaysia Model of the World had a function there and all the final contestants were there parading in their bikinis and giving interviews. But let’s not get carried away with this as the day was for the Perak Bar member’s children.

The purpose of the day was to allow the Perak Bar members to spend time doing a bar activity with their children and I believe that it was a resounding success!

Let’s hope that this would be a precursor to more participation of the Perak Bar members. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Social Sub Committee members who have worked hard to ensure that this activity was a success.

Submitted by Kenny Lai
Social Committee Chairman

BANNED FROM K- MART

This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.

After Mr. and Mrs. Fenton retired, Mrs. Fenton insisted her husband accompany her on her trips to K -Mart. Unfortunately, Mr. Fenton was like most men -- he found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, Mrs. Fenton was like most women -- she loved to browse. One day Mrs. Fenton received the following letter from her local K -Mart.

Dear Mrs. Fenton,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behaviour and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Fenton are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance
cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2 . July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on lay -by.

6. September 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. September 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9. October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the anti depressants were.

11. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible theme.

12. December 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a foetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least ..

15. December 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

Regards,
K -Mart

I SLEPT WHILE THE WORLD PASSED ME BY

What if you woke up one morning to discover that the world you knew had changed forever? That with the retreat of the last tendrils of slumber it suddenly dawns on you that there is a discernible change in the world. You cant quite put your finger on it and force yourself out of bed. Then it strikes you that there is an unnatural silence this morning. As you rush to the window hurriedly, an impending sense of dread falls upon you. You draw the curtains as the full force of the change to the world is unveiled like a twisted panorama before your disbelieving eyes. The sun is covered behind thick red clouds causing the world to be bathed in an unnatural red glow, the trees in your front yard are withering and dying, the carcasses of birds, squirrels and other small fauna are scattered everywhere and the fetid, cloying stench of death and despair cling to your nostrils. What then?

Of course, the scene i just described is merely a fictional embellishment on my part and one which I sincerely hope I never ever see even in my nightmares. However, the realisation that the world may have changed beyond our wildest imaginings is very real and entirely plausible. Unfortunately, that scenario may very well be visited on all of us sooner rather than later if we continue to embrace inaction, impassivity and apathy.

As lawyers, we have a social, moral and ethical imperative to be involved, engaged, passionate, dynamic, willing and to participate.

The Pakistani constitutional crisis sparked international consternation and mobilised Pakistani lawyers to stand up against the oppression of the military junta and the injustice visited upon their Chief Justice, the blatant disregard of the constitution and the dilution of the concept of the separation of powers.



Hundreds of lawyers took the streets in demonstrations against the junta and ultimately many of them were assaulted, arrested and imprisoned. Nevertheless, their activism and fearlessness was not wasted and was instead a catalyst for the citizens of Pakistan to understand
the situation in Pakistan and the lawlessness of the ruling junta. At considerable expense to their livelihood and lives the lawyers in Pakistan stood up to be counted in the face of oppression.

However, here in our sleepy little corner of the world, we cant even gather up the energy to get involved in our own Bar activities. Senior and young lawyers are both guilty of this listless apathy here in Perak. Nevertheless, the bulk of my ire is reserved for young lawyers in Perak from whom one day we will draw our leaders and decision makers. It is a sad day indeed when the Perak Bar Young Lawyers Sub-Committee calls a meeting and the only person in attendance is the Chairman of the said Sub-Committee. Personal calls to young lawyers to take part in Bar work and activities are more often than not met with non-committal answers, complete disinterest, utterances of "no time", "dont know" and "dont care". And now you are telling me that a future leader will be drawn from this sorry bunch? Honestly, that causes me to shiver in trepidation at the thought. If we cannot even muster the effort to be a part of something (which we are, the PERAK BAR) to show solidarity and to participate in the various sub-committees and activites planned throughout the year, how then can we be entrusted with the heavy task of leadership in the future? Young lawyers MUST get involved. Get off that sorry fat behind and stop snaffling the crisps and DO something. There are so many sub-committees that require assistance and manpower. Offer help, make yourself available and be a part of something other than your own self-serving ego and apathy. Afraid that its all too boring and stuffy? Then take part in the various events organised by the social committee such as the upcoming Family Day at Sunway Lost World (nb: a rather tepid attendance of 14 lawyers as at date hereof), the upcoming Charity Nite, Paintball excursion, white water rafting, treasure hunt and of course the Annual Dinner. If even that fails to engage you then perhaps all hope is lost and you are merely a frivolous being with no substance altogether.

Life is too short to coast along without a greater purpose. If all of us, senior and junior, allow the apathy to set into our lives, then we will be like a rudderless boat set adrift on the ocean pushed here and there by the currents. Our course determined by others, servile and compliant. Seniors, you are caretakers of the world and have a responsibility to educate, mentor and set an example for your juniors. Juniors, you are future leaders and must equip yourself for that future, to be concerned, eager to learn and to take part.

"The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination by ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment." Robert Maynard Hutchins

Therefore, wake up! Wake up before its too late, before the world passes you by and leaves you with nothing but regrets and self recrimination for the things we could have done but didn't do.


Submitted by Gavin Tang

VALUE ADDED SERVICE

Dear Perak Bar Members,

I am pleased to announce that the Lower Court Bar Room and the Legal Aid Centre are now wi-fi enabled! Therefore, any members who need internet access can utilise the hotspot there. The network is password enabled but the password can be obtained from Ram at the Legal Aid Centre. Appreciation and acknowledgment must be given to our Chairman, Shan Theivanthiran who paid for the wireless router from his own pocket. When asked why he decided to do so, he merely replied that it was merely "a small benefit for the members" as the Legal Aid Centre already had the internet connection. Kudos to the Chairman! He really is an example of leadership by example and his willingness to devote his time and money to the Perak Bar is to be commended. I am sure we can look forward to more good works from our Chairman and as a Perak Bar member I also daresay he will be equally generous when it comes to buying my breakast, lunch or tea?! Well done Mr Chairman!

Submitted by Gavin Tang