VICE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Penang Paunch

The 41st Malaysia-Singapore Bench and Bar Games were held in Penang this year. A record number of over 300 judges, prosecutors, lawyers and their family members from Singapore (about five per cent of the Bar) flew over 600km to participate in this annual event that is the highlight of the Society’s calendar. What was the draw? Some said that it could be due to the attractive fares offered by the budget airlines, others said it was because of the good rates given by G Hotel (owned by a Singapore company); still others said it is for the sports, and some even said it must be the famous hawker food. I think it is all of these, and also the history of our two countries linked by kinship and friendship.

All of our three Chief Justices, past and present, were born in Malaysia: from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and our current the Honourable the Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong hails from Ipoh. Some of our Judges and many of our lawyers are from Malaysia  the nearest source of foreign talent. The former Law Faculty of the University of Malaya in Singapore, and the Singapore University produced lawyers for both sides of the causeway. Many of the senior Malaysian lawyers I met at Penang remembered their student and courting days in Singapore with fondness in their eyes. There were marriages across the two nations. The Games therefore offered an opportunity to rekindle old friendships, and for new ones to be made.

It must have been a tactical move of the Malaysian Bar Council to host the Games in Penang. The good food and drink weighed our players down. Other excuses we can come up with include the Malaysians having home ground advantage; they had a larger pool of some 12,000 lawyers (compared to our 3,500) to choose their players from; their badminton team includes five national players, etc.  All cogent reasons. On our part, we won cricket aided by foreign talent from down under. The Malaysians promised to exact revenge for their defeat by recruiting Indian and Pakistani lawyers next year. The games were played in a gentlemanly manner with no rough play, which belies the competitive nature of the sportspersons. Justice Choo Han Teck takes a very keen interest in tennis and the tennis team had even engaged a sports psychologist to assist them to win their game this year.

The closing Gala Dinner and Dance was fun. The Kuala Lumpur female lawyers gamely put up a dance item dressed in red and black outfits and fishnet stockings, which prompted a Judge to jest that they should be dressed that way in Court, leading a Judge’s wife to immediately retort that if that were so, all the Judges’ wives would turn up in Court every day.

To the uninitiated, it must be quite a surprise that hearings can be adjourned because lawyers are granted time off by the Courts to take part in the Games. There is a serious side to the Bench and Bar Games too: the event reflects the warm and cordial relations between Malaysians and Singaporeans. The Malaysians respect our efficiency and our hardworking attitude. We respect the Malaysians for knowing how to enjoy life and having a saner pace of work. We are brothers and sisters, separated only by virtue of political destiny. When we re-unite once a year over three days at the Games, we are reminded of our past links. We exchange ideas on legal and judicial experiences. This year’s Games were led by the Chief Justices of both countries, and it is patent that they have fostered good ties. They held informal discussions with other Judges (including our Chao Hick Tin JA, Justice Choo Han Teck and Justice Lee Seiu Kin, their Chief Judge, the Right Honourable Tan Sri Arifin bin Zakaria and many Federal and High Court Judges). Both Chief Justices attended the final soccer game which was a thrilling cliff-hanger. Our Chief Justice delighted us when he hugged the Judge’s Cup which he was to present to the Malaysian Chief Justice, the Right Honourable Tun Dato’ Seri Zaki Tun Azmi, and pretended to be reluctant to hand over the Cup. That can only happen when people are relaxed and comfortable with each other. The results of the Games are not important, but a detailed account will be featured in next month’s Gazette. We won the exciting “Boat Race” by a clear margin, and left in high spirits, not to mention the Penang Paunch.

A record 12 Council members went for this year’s away Games and took the opportunity to savour all the Penang delicacies. It will be re-miss of me not to share with you some of our picks for the best food in Penang: Ah Leng Char Kway Teow, Gurney Drive Sotong Bakar and Chee Cheong Fun, Mama’s Nonya Cuisine (wild boar, otak, claypot pork belly), Seng Thor “Or Chen” (oyster omelette) at Carnavon Street, and Lorbak and fish porridge at Kafe Kheng Pin. The Penangites must have been thinking that Singapore lawyers were faring badly when we ordered three plates of Char Kway Teow to be shared by six persons, not knowing that that was just one of many breakfasts we were partaking on the same day. (We will be discussing with the Malaysian Bar Council about adding an eating contest in the next Bench and Bar Games.)

The Law Society records our appreciation to the Chief Justice for leading and cheering the Singapore contingent; to the Judges for supporting the Games,  to Joseph Liow and Laura Liew and their team for organising the Games; to Shawn Toh and Hong Xiuling of the Secretariat for co-coordinating the Games and all who donated to or participated in the Games.

Leo Cheng Suan
Vice President
The Law Society of Singapore