Kuching, June 13, 2012: Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Chong Chieng Jen has warned that the state legal profession does not welcome the extension of the Legal Profession Act, now enforced in Malaya only, to Sarawak.
"We do not want to open our legal profession to our counterparts from Malaya," he said in a statement today.
He said as a Sarawakian Member of Parliament, he felt duty bound to participate in the debate in Paliament of the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill, 2012 although the Act is not applicable to Sarawak.
"This is because some Barisan Nasional MPs from Malaya have suggested that Sarawak legal profession be opened up," he said.
Chong, a lawyer by profession, said he has stated in Parliament in no certain term that the Sarawak legal profession does not welcome the extension of the Legal Profession Act to Sarawak.
"We also do not want to open the profession to non-Sarawakian legal practitioners," he said, thanking Batang Sadong Member of Parliament, Nancy Shukri, for supporting him in opposing the extension to Sarawak while debating the amendment Bill.
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"The special rights of Sarawak legal profession not to allow our Malayan counterparts to practise in Sarawak have been agreed upon at the formation of Malaysia. This is our constitutional rights. As such, it is not for a non-Sarawakian to question such rights.
"I have also drawn the analogy of such right to the Bumiputera's special rights, which many politicians have defended strongly.
"If the Bumiputera's special rights are not to be questioned, likewise, are the Sarawak's special rights which have incorporated in our Constitution," he said.
He reminded non-Sarawakians politicians to leave the matter touching on the Sarawak's special rights alone.
"Should there be a need to change or even abolish such rights, let it come from a Sarawakian rather than a non-Sarawakian," he said. By Sematong Express
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