KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 ― The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah said those given the trust, power and position, now have the opportunity to build a better Malaysia based on the rule of law.
“If the opportunity given by the people is not responded to positively ― in an active, meaningful and convincing manner to carry out improvements, the public would view the changes taking place as akin to merely playing the character roles if the new characters (leaders) are still reading the old script.
“A better Malaysia, insya-Allah (God willing), could be created if the spirit of the third and fourth principles of the Rukun Negara, namely, Supremacy of the Constitution and Rule of Law, is rekindled, imbued and respected at all times, while the country is governed in an honest, transparent and trustworthy manner and with integrity, based on the rule of law.”
Sultan Nazrin said this at the 24th convocation ceremony, here, today for 664 graduates of the Certificate of Legal Practice Examination conducted by the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board.
The sultan said increasing number of legal practitioners and a more complex law field had not ensured declining crime rates and a more peaceful world.
“Instead, crime cases have increased and more regrettable is that, increasing number of professionals and the educated are committing crime and other misdeeds on a bigger scale to the extent of causing hardship to more victims.
“When there exists a very wide space, enabling laws to be manipulated, it is feared that the legal processes and proceedings could be hindered, hence creating a situation which could give immunity to those with power and advantage to the wealthy,” he said.
Sultan Nazrin reminded the CLP graduates that if power, wealth and fame were their main aim in life, then they were prepared to accept any means as legitimate as long as they achieved their goals, but such graduates would be more of a liability than an asset to the country and the world.
He cautioned that the country and world could go through a worse situation due to the actions of someone guided by greed that the individual was prepared to do anything, including disregarding justice, committing tyranny and sacrificing public interest to achieve personal goals.
“You are now barristers, accepted to join the legal profession which has a long history and high status, and is respected. The legal profession was founded on the spirit of wanting to uphold justice, based on the principle of protecting the weak and defending the innocent,” Sultan Nazrin told the graduands.
“The legal profession was created with a very noble aim, made complete later on with various instruments of governance and proper yet complex organisational structure, fulfilling the roles of (law) formulation, enforcement, prosecuting, defending and delivering judgments,” he added.
Also present at the convocation was chairman of the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board, Tommy Thomas, who is also the Attorney-General. ― Bernama
