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LIFESTYLE |
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As I was growing up, a sense of wanting to help people and serve the community slowly took root within me. I wanted to help the people around me, be they friends or strangers. To the utter surprise of my parents, I wanted to study social work and have a career as a social worker. My father decided to take matters into his own hands. He was then working in a large law firm, and he started sharing with me stories about the lawyers in his firm. To him, the legal profession was a prestigious and lucrative one and he subtly encouraged me to become a lawyer. Being a great fan of the legal TV drama series, Paperchase and other subsequent American TV dramas which glamorised lawyers’ lives, I soon bought into the idea as I thought it was a “cool career”.
I vividly remember the year 1990 when I was 25. It was a watershed year in my life for many reasons – one of which was that I decided to bring the desire to do volunteer work into fruition.
I walked into an orientation session conducted by the National Council of Social Services which was located in Penang Lane then. Various voluntary welfare organisations made their pitch for volunteers that evening. Like many vounteers then, I wanted to work with children. At the end of the presentations, the vounteer wannabes were asked to go to the various booths to express their volunteer interests. The children’s booth was full of people in contrast to the disabled booth which had less than a handful of takers. I signed up to volunteer in a disabled pilot programme, Bedok Befrienders Project, which reached out to the disabled residing in the Bedok constituency.
At that time I did not fully appreciate the world of volunteers and was quite unaware of what I was getting myself into. Volunteers are generally passionate and idealistic people. The people around me had interesting reactions to my new found hobby – “Does it pay?” “Social work is for people who have a lot of time on their hands. Why don’t you do it when you are retired and have more time?” “Just leave it to others to do.” I was not discouraged.
The people I have met, the activities that I have been engaged in and the life experiences I have gained are things that money simply cannot buy. Like others, volunteers are also busy people but they make it a commitment and find the time to engage in volunteer work.
Later, I moved on to work with underprivileged children and special interest groups. The best holidays I have had were the overseas volunteer stints in a disabled holiday home in England and in Mother Teresa organisations in Calcutta. Overseas volunteer work is a totally different and interesting experience depending on the economic status of the country. It can be physically demanding and the different social welfare needs are an eye opener to a Singapore volunteer.
In an old folks’ home in Calcutta, the residents are often vagabonds picked up from the streets by the sisters of Mother Teresa’s charity, Missionaries of Charity. Many are old and sickly. Their needs are very simple – they just want human company, someone to talk to and to feel the touch of another person. In Sishu Bhavan, the orphanage run by the Sisters, I still remember the tens of children who flocked to the volunteers who walk into the centre. The sightof the many children of all ages, sizes and colour holding on to me, hugging me and surrounding me and all talking at the same time, is etched in my mind forever. When I qualified as a lawyer in 1997, it was only natural for me to volunteer in the Law Society. The Society has different connotations to its various members – to many, it has little relevance. Others are its critics. To me, I have always regarded the Society as a close friend. I first signed up to be a member of the Publications Committee. This was followed by being involved in the Practice Management and PrimeLaw Committee, Family Law Practice Committee and Small Law Firms Committee.
When I started my own practice, I also decided to join the Law Society Council. I am now serving my sixth year in Council. Although I am part of a small minority group of lawyers whovolunteer in the Society, it has been an exponential learning experience. It does not take up a substantial amount of my time, yet, it offers an invaluable opportunity to work side by side with the giants of the legal profession. The exposure to the various issues concerning not only the day to day running of a law practice but the whole legal profession, is an honour and privilege to me. The time I spend on these “extra-curricular activities” is a good respite from the stress of law practice. My involvement in the Society continuously inspires and energises me, even in my 13th year of law practice.
Being a member of the Professional Development and Practice Concerns Chapter of the Professional Affairs Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law has offered me a holistic view of the legal profession. Although the Chapter is volunteer driven, the professional and systematic operation of the Committee and the achievement of its objectives is a fine examplefor other non-profit organisations to follow. For the members, it adds to an enriching and meaningful experience. I am heartened to see the importance that the legal fraternity is placing on pro bono work. After all, we are in the best position to help people solve their legal problems and in turn make a valuable contribution to the larger Singapore.
Colleagues and friends have asked me how I manage to be involved in so many pursuits at the same time. As a friend sums up, volunteers have two full time jobs – volunteering and their day jobs. My brother told me some years ago that volunteering, like charity, begins at home, hinting that I was not spending enough time with the family. I have wondered why I have kept on doing this work for the past 15 years which is often frustrating and tiring. Is the motivation based on pure altruism or are there self-serving interests, I often ask myself. Is it wrong to be guided by both reasons? Perhaps, volunteers need to be guided by one or both reasons to keep going, whilst juggling career, family and other demands.
Volunteering is a life-long hobby to me, like how sports, fishing, motorbike racing, cooking,
mountain climbing, computer gaming or tinkling with IT gadgets is for others. And like these
other hobbies, there is always more to do and learn, with new projects and initiatives to be
engaged in, such as doing volunteer mediation in the Subordinate Courts. Stamina and health
willing.
Rajan Chettiar
Rajan Chettiar & Co
E-mail: rajan@rajanchettiar.com