[This Long Call speech was delivered on 13th September 2024 before Yang Arif Dr John Lee Kien How @ Mohammad Johan Lee]
Introduction
It is my great pleasure to introduce the Petitioner, Mr Muhammad Aqil Shah bin Nasharuddin.
The Petitioner was born on 9th Feb 2000. He is the youngest child of Encik Nasharuddin bin Mohd Ali & Puan Sharifah binti Sidek, who are unfortunately unable to attend. The Petitioner’s sister & brother in law, Ms Nisa Nabila & Mr Mohd Alief Akmal, are here with us today.
The Petitioner read law at the University of Malaya, and graduated in 2023.
The Petitioner then went on to complete his pupillage at Messrs Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh under the tutelage of Mr Kamraj Nayagam, who is a distinguished construction & commercial practitioner. I have no doubt that the Petitioner has been instilled with the values of hard work, professionalism & integrity at the firm.
2 Reasons Why The Petitioner Would Be An Excellent Lawyer
My Lord, beyond pupillage training, there are at least 2 reasons why I believe the Petitioner would be a valuable addition to the legal profession.
First, the Petitioner was involved in legal aid & pro bono work ever since in law school. The Petitioner was a Director of the Community Outreach Program (COP) at the Uni of Malaya. Being a UM Law Faculty alumni, I am aware of the good work COP has been doing since its early days. COP is an initiative under Universiti Malaya’s Clinical Legal Education (CLE) pedagogy where members engage with often the underprivileged to educate them about legal rights & to encourage law students to be more involved in doing pro bono activities.
My Lord was at the recent Malaysian Law Students Legal Aid Conference, where the Chief Justice has driven home the importance of legal aid & doing pro bono work for the deserving in society. To quote the Chief Justice:
“Legal aid plays a crucial role in bridging the justice gap, ensuring that no individual is excluded from the protection of the law due to geographical, economic, or educational barriers…Legal aid thus functions as a cornerstone of a fair, humane, and efficient justice system that is grounded in the rule of law”.
From my little experience at the Bar, I can testify that the most rewarding of cases are the ones that are often done pro bono for those who have nobody else to turn to, and to communities who don’t necessarily have the financial means but deserve to have a fair shot at obtaining justice in the Courts. I have no doubt that the Petitioner, given his early passion for delivering clinical legal education to the man on the street, will grow to become a lawyer who gives back to society.
Second, the Petitioner is also an avid sportsman & loves following sports. Athleticism runs in his family. He was a rugby player at high school & is even now looking for a rugby team in KL to pursue this passion. I am no sportsman by any stretch My Lord, but I know many great lawyers who are – and this is no surprise, as sports (if one is truly dedicated) invariably drills you the values of discipline, hard work, teamwork & mental fortitude – all which are necessary to have a successful legal practice.
The Petitioner mentions that one of his favourite sport documentaries is the Netflix documentary “The Last Dance” which chronicles the basketball great Michael Jordan & the 1990s Chicago Bulls. So I will just quote one of my favourite lines from that documentary by Michael Jordan himself:
“Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen. Well, everybody says I won all these championships. But I didn’t win without Scottie Pippen. That’s why I consider him my greatest teammate of all-time.”
For context, Scottie Pippen was Michael Jordan’s longtime teammate. The point is this – in legal practice, as with sports, you need teammates who will support you throughout the way, because it is a demanding endeavour throughout. A teammate can be your spouse, partner, colleague, mentor. I have certainly benefitted from my support system who have been patient with me throughout. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Who The Petitioner Wishes To Thank
The Petitioner wishes to thank his father & mother, who are both in the entertainment business & run their own production company. His father was a terrific role model for him, showing the Petitioner that he can achieve anything if he sets his mind to it. The Petitioner’s mother is his No.1 supprter, and without her, the Petitioner would not be the person he is today.
The Petitioner also wishes to thank his sister (Nisa Nabila), a medical doctor, for being an exemplary role model, and his brother (Muhammad Nabiel Aiman), a finance associate at a bank, for being his best friend. In particular, the Petitioner wishes to thank his brother in law (Mohd Alief Acmal), for being a constant source of positivity in his life & always being there to lift his spirits.
The Petitioner also wishes to thank his amazing girlfriend, Ms Shafiqah Amira Binti Mohd Azlan, who has been with him since law school. She is actually also attending her own long call ceremony today at this very moment at Yang Arif Dato’ Amarjeet’s court. My Lord, I am actually disappointed the Petitioner did not muster an application under the Rules of Court 2012 to transfer both their long call proceedings to be heard by the same Judge – this is a terrible missed opportunity to commemorate a special occasion together.
Nonetheless, the Petitioner thanks the girlfriend for her unwavering support in everything he does, a voice of reason & someone who lifts him up whenever he is down.
The Petitioner extends his greatest gratitude to his colleagues at MKP – Kamraj Nayagam, Maya Gayathri, Fang Kai Loon & Nicole Lee Shih En – for their invaluable guidance & for teaching him the intricacies of the legal fraternity. They have provided him with the opportunity to work with and be introduced to other prominent practitioners. This experience has been incredibly rewarding to the Petitioner.
Lastly, the Petitioner wishes to thank his friends from Universiti Malaya, SM Sultan Abdul Halim, childhood friends from Kota Kemuning & all other former colleagues in MKP.
The Petitioner is now practicing at Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, and I wish him all the very best in practice & in life.
Conclusion
My Lord, given the above, I verily believe that the Petitioner is a fit and proper person to be admitted and enrolled as an Advocate and Solicitor.
I believe all the papers are in order, and there are no objections from the Attorney General’s Chambers, Bar Council of Malaysia & the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee.
I hereby seek this Honourable Court’s leave for the Petitioner’s pupil-master to robe the Petitioner.
