SJ visits Malaysia to promote Hong Kong’s legal services (with photos)

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, leading a delegation comprising representatives from the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) organisations, continued his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of his visit to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries today (September 27).

     Mr Lam and the delegation first met with the Deputy President of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Datuk Ng Yih Pyng, this morning to have a better understanding of their need for cross-jurisdictional legal services and introduced to them Hong Kong's diversified professional services.

     They then received a lunch briefing from the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia, Mr Bilal Parvaiz, to gain a better understanding of Malaysia's business developments and the demand from its financial sector for legal and dispute resolution services.

     It was followed by a meeting with the Vice-President of the Malaysian Bar, Mr Anand Raj, to learn about Malaysia's latest legal developments, and to explore opportunities on legal co-operation and exchanges between the two places. The delegation also took the opportunity to visit the Malaysian International Mediation Centre launched in January this year under the auspices of the Malaysian Bar Council.

     A meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), Datuk Almalena Sharmila Johan, was then held to learn more about its provision of institutional support for domestic and international arbitrator and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings. The AIAC is a not-for-profit, non-governmental international arbitral institution formed pursuant to the host country agreement between Malaysia and Asian African Legal Consultative Organization.

     Mr Lam will attend a dinner with the Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, Mr Zheng Xuefang in the evening.

     Upon arriving in Kuala Lumpur yesterday afternoon, Mr Lam and his delegation had a meeting with the Attorney General of Malaysia, Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin bin Mohd Salleh, to exchange views on areas of common interest.

     They went on to meet local legal and business sectors at a seminar titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Malaysian Businesses to China and Beyond, followed by an evening networking reception co-organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia. The attendees were briefed on various topics including Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying strong support from the motherland while being closely connected to the world under "one country, two systems", and Hong Kong's latest lawtech services for resolving cross-border disputes. The event was attended by about 150 participants from the legal, business and other sectors of Malaysia.

     During the seminar, Mr Lam witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) facilitated by the DoJ, between the South China International Arbitration Center (HK) and the AIAC, and a supplementary MoU between eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre and the AIAC, further enhancing the legal and ADR co-operation between the two places.

     The first-day programme in Malaysia ended with a dinner meeting between Mr Lam and Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Dato' Sri Azalina Othman Said. She also invited the Hong Kong delegation to try out locally produced snacks and fruits.

     Mr Lam will conclude his ASEAN visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow (September 28).