KPUM
KPUM (Malay: Kesatuan Penuntut Undang-Undang Malaysia di UK dan Eire) (English: Malaysian Law Students Union in the United Kingdom and Eire).[1] is the official Malaysian Law Students Union in the United Kingdom and Ireland ("Eire"). KPUM promotes the interests of Malaysian law students, primarily by organizing events.
History
The organization was established in 1979 and enjoys the patronage of Sultan Azlan Shah, who is the current Sultan of Perak, and the previous Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia.[1] KPUM is recognized by the Malaysian Bar, and obtains its funding through sponsorship from firms in Malaysia, as well as through any profits made from organizing events.
Over the past 30 years KPUM has gone through a period of preeminence, decline, and subsequent revival.
KPUM is an affiliated member of the United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students (UKEC) and is one of the non-regional members of UKEC's Supreme Council. The two organizations sometimes collaborate, particularly to promote events, for instances, KPUM and UKEC jointly organised the UKEC-KPUM Law debate competition in 2009. KPUM had been close to UKEC since 2005 as its past president Wan Mohd Firdaus (2004) was also the Chairman for UKEC in subsequent years (2005–2006). KPUM's General Secretary for 2003, Nik Nazmi, was also the Vice Chairman of UKEC.
Purpose
The organisation sets out to achieve its three core missions: Uniting law students, empowering future lawyers and upholding the rule of law.
It promotes the interests of Malaysian law students by organizing various social events, career and skill development opportunities for law students.
Despite being vocal about human rights violations in its public statements, KPUM is regarded as politically neutral, favoring neither Barisan National (the ruling coalition in Malaysia), nor Pakatan Rakyat (the opposition coalition).
Membership
Every Malaysian law student attending a United Kingdom university, law school, or BPTC provider is automatically a member of KPUM. However membership is also open to any student holding a Malaysian passport, regardless of subject or country of study. Committee members have included Economics and Engineering students. Additionally, KPUM's committee includes a Malaysian Ambassador, who attends a Malaysian university.
Events
KPUM holds several events throughout the year. Events are typically open to students regardless of subject of study. The type of events tends to change with changing committees, however some events have become annual.
- The Orators Public Speaking & Debate Championship: KPUM holds an annual debate and public speaking competition on legal, political and/or social issues in London. Past motions have addressed bribery, religion, and sexual promiscuity. Students from around the United Kingdom compete for the KPUM Outstanding Debater & Public Speaker Awards.
- Law Awards Dinner: KPUM holds an annual dinner in Kuala Lumpur in summer in honor of Malaysian law students at United Kingdom universities and BPTC providers who have achieved exemplary grades. The dinner is attended by representatives from law firms in Malaysia, including Zaid Ibrahim & Co, who are the main sponsors of the event.
- Law Careers Convention: The Convention is KPUM's biggest annual event and is held in Kuala Lumpur in summer. It consists of a series of law-related lectures and a careers fair organized with legal employers.
Flagship Programmes
Annual Dinner
Annual Dinner is one of the two formal, black tie event that celebrates the new heights that KPUM has managed to reach each year. All members of KPUM and representatives of law firms are invited to dine together in a formal setting during the event. The committee of the event in 2014/15 included an award ceremony to students under the KPUM jurisdiction who have stood out academically and non-academically.
The event is held in Malaysia and typically between the months of July to September. The event is open to all KPUM members and serves as an opportunity for students to meet and interact with respective law firms, the time and venue of the event is set to accommodate to the summer break of students studying in the UK.
Law Career Convention
KPUM Law Career Convention (LCC) was launched on 14 March 2015 and was KPUM pioneer networking session with 5 law firms participating. Owing to its big success in 2015, KPUM organised the event once more in 19 March 2016, inviting more law firms and even bar schools to participate.The LCC consist of a range of presentation from different law firms practicing different areas of law. Several events including corporate luncheon and law firms and interview sessions. With the participation of a higher number of firms in 2016,
The aim of the event is to expose students to a wide range of opportunities after law school. KPUM aims to get the Malaysian law students to gather for a dialogue with their future colleagues and future employers. With bar schools participating in 2016, students can also understand more about the pathway to and beyond the BPTC.
Internships
As to date, KPUM organises three internship programmes which are open to all Malaysian students pursuing a law degree or BPTC. These three internships are 30 days of summer, Asasi and Beyond the Bar. Each internship programme focuses on different career prospects of a law degree. Although the dates of the internship programmes differs each year, they run for two months long and typically from July to August.
The first internship programme KPUM organised was the Asasi internship programme. In the year 2015, the Union launched the 30 days of Summer internship programme in addition to the 30 Days of Summer internship programme. In 2016, a divergent type of internship was introduced by the Union named Beyond the Bar. Unlike the previous internship programmes, Beyond the Bar programme is not affiliated with the legal realm. This programme provides law students who are considering a non-legal profession a foretaste of the non-legal working environment.
These internships does not just form a cohort between the participant, it also allows
1. 30 days of Summer
30 Days of Summer (SIP) is a 2-month long internship programme where participants intern with 2 of the participating commercial law firms in Malaysia, a month each. In 2015, the programme runs from 1 July to 14 August; in 2016, 4 July to 31 August. 7 commercial firms participated in 2015 and this number rose to 10 in 2016. (List of partners participating here) These firms specialises in corporate law, intellectual property, arbitration, dispute resolution, shipping law and employment law. The work includes preparation of affidavit, drafting a witness statements and research. The interns are required to work with lawyers in practice on actual client matters and attend trials, hearings, appeals and client meetings when appropriate.
Aside from the main internship itself, students are given an opportunity to participate in side events held in collaboration with the partners. Side events organised include mooting sessions, roundtable discussions and talks. In the year 2015, mooting sessions was held in Thomas Philip, roundtable discussions at ZICOlaw and talks at Skrine and Christopher & Lee Ong.
Partners in 2017 | Partners in 2016 | Partners in 2015 |
1. Azmi and Associates | 1. Albar and Partners | 1. Azmi and Associates |
2. Christopher & Lee Ong | 2. Ariff Rozhan & Co | 2. Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak |
3. Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill | 3. Azmi & Associates | 3. ZICOlaw |
4. Raja, Darryl & Loh | 4. Christopher & Lee Ong | 4. Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill |
5. Skrine | 5. Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak | 5. Shook Lin & Bok |
6. Thomas Philip | 6. Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill | 6. Donovan & Ho |
7. ZICOlaw | 7. Raja, Darryl & Loh | 7. Raja, Darryl & Loh |
8. Zul Rafique & Partners | 8. Skrine | |
9. Thomas Phillip | 9. Thomas Philip | |
10. Albar & Partners | 10. ZICOlaw | |
11. Shearn Delamore & Co | ||
12. Ariff Rozhan & Co | ||
13. Peter Ling & Van Geyzel |
2. ASASI Internship Programme
The Asasi Internship Programme started in 2014, focusing on human rights and activism in the legal profession. It is a two-month long programme, aiming to provide an exposure and to widen the perspectives of the participants to the many possibilities of branching out within the legal profession itself. Similar to other internship programmes by KPUM, there are also various side events during the internship period for the participants.
Duration of internship | |
---|---|
2017 | 4 July 2016 – 26 August 2017 |
2016 | 4 July 2016 – 26 August 2016 |
2015 | 1 July 2015 – 28 August 2015 |
2014 | 1 July 2014 – 31 August 2014 |
Partners in 2017 | Partners in 2016 | Partner in 2015 |
---|---|---|
1. Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) | 1. Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) | 1. Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) |
2. Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER) | 2. CPPS/ASLI | 2. CPPS/ASLI |
3. Fahri Azzat | 3. Fahri Azzat | 3. Edmund Bon |
4. Sisters in Islam | 4. Honey Tan | 4. Honey Tan |
5. Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) | 5. Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) | 5. Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) |
6. Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) | 6. Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) | 6. Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) |
7. Malik Imtiaz | 7. Malik Imtiaz | 7. Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) |
8. Penang Institute (KL Base) | 8. Penang Institute (KL Base) | 8. Malik Imtiaz |
9. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) | 9. Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER) | 9. Penang Institute (KL Base) |
10. Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) | 10. Shook Lin & Bok (SLB) | 10. Roger Chan Weng Keng |
11. Sisters in Islam | 11. Syahredzan Johan | |
12. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) | 12. Shook Lin & Bok (SLB) | |
13. Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) | 13. Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) |
Partners in 2014 |
---|
1. Honey Tan |
2. Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) |
3. Malaysian Center for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) |
4. Malik Imtiaz |
5. Roger Chan Weng Keng |
3. Beyond The Bar Internship Programme
Beyond the Bar was launched in 2016 by the Careers Development team. It is a non-legal internship programme designed specifically to provide law students a foretaste of a non-legal working environment. The programme runs for 2 months: from the 4th of July 2016 to 6 August 2016. 9 non-legal firms participated in 2016, with offices ranging from audit firms, banks, publication firms to public services. Similar to the 30 days of Summer internship programme, the participants are given an opportunity to partake in a series of side events hosted by the partners and to form support community where interns share their experiences together.
Partners in 2017 | Partners in 2016 |
---|---|
1. Bursa Malaysia | 1. CIMB |
2. Malaysiakini | 2. Ernst & Young |
3. CanLaw | 3. Institute For Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) |
4. Unilever | 4. Malaysiakini |
5. Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) | 5. OCBC |
6. TalentCorp | 6. Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) |
7. Teach for Malaysia | 7. TalentCorp |
8. YB Nancy Shukri (Prime Minister’s Office) | 8. Teach for Malaysia |
9. Sime Darby Corp | 9. YB Nancy Shukri (Prime Minister’s Office) |
Executive Committee
The KPUM Executive Committee is the group of students who run the organization. The positions on the committee sometimes change with different years. Each KPUM committee serves for a term of one year, with elections taking place in London during Michaelmas term.
KPUM Executive Committee 2017/18 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Hong Jinghann | University of Warwick |
Vice President (United Kingdom) | Tan Lian May | King's College London |
Vice President (Malaysia) | Sebastian Sim | Advanced Tertiary College |
Vice President (Performance & Delivery Unit) | Lee Rui Ci | University of Leeds |
General Secretary | Foo Xiang Yen | University of Kent |
Careers Development Director | Choo Kelly | University of Warwick |
Corporate Relations Director | Yap Zhi Tong | University of Warwick |
Skills Enhancement Director | Tham Zhi Jun | University of Warwick |
Finance Director | Tan Wye Shaun | University of Reading |
Human Rights & Activism Officer | Michelle Liu | University of Essex |
Media and Communications Director | Ng Nelynn | Cardiff University |
Student Relations and Outreach Director | Vincent Kow | Queen Mary, University of London |
KPUM Executive Committee 2016/17 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Tan Ian | University of Birmingham |
Vice President (United Kingdom) | Tan Iyan Xin | University College London |
Vice President (Malaysia) | Maggie Cheong May Khei | Brickfields Asia College |
Vice President (Performance & Delivery Unit) | Sean Tan Yang Wei | Brickfields Asia College |
General Secretary | Siti Khadijah Anwarul Haq | University of Essex |
Careers Development Director | Teo Zhao Wang | King's College London |
Corporate Relations Director | Amirah Jamal | University of Birmingham |
Fellowship Director | Hong Jinghann | University of Warwick |
Finance Director | Alycia Tan Wei Wenn | University of Liverpool |
Human Rights & Activism Officer | Goh Cia Yee | University of Nottingham |
Media and Communications Director | Tan Lian May | King's College London |
Student Relations and Outreach Director | Boo Cheng Xuan | University College London |
KPUM Executive Committee 2015/16 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Lee Su Wen | University of Manchester |
Vice President (the United Kingdom) | Jason Yong Kok Yew | Cardiff University |
Vice President (Malaysia) | declan | Brickfields Asia College |
General Secretary | Angel Khoo Jun Yee | Oxford Brookes University |
Careers Development Director | Tan Ian | University of Birmingham |
Corporate Relations Director | Ho Lye Tong | City University |
Fellowship Director | Kamilia Khairul Anuar | University College London |
Finance Director | Sean Tan Yang Wei | Cardiff University |
Human Rights Officer | Nicholas Wong | City University |
Media and Communications Director | Joanne Hoh Yen Yen | University of Liverpool |
Student Relations and Outreach Director | Kiu Yik Chiaw | Cardiff University |
KPUM Executive Committee 2014/15 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Pang Jo Fan | BPP University |
Vice President | Jasmine Cheng | University of London |
General Secretary | Cassandra Chung | University of Nottingham |
Careers Development Director | Adrian Koh | University of Bristol |
Finance and Corporate Relations Director | Foong Lily | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Fellowship Director | Shaun Kua | BPP University |
Student Relations and Outreach Director | Safwa Tahir | University of Hertfordshire |
Malaysia Representative | Kee Hui Yee | Brickfields Asia College |
Malaysia Representative | Pauline Ting | Brickfields Asia College |
KPUM Executive Committee 2013/14 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Ang Pei-Hsia | University College London |
Vice President | Janice Tan Ying | Cardiff University |
General Secretary | Jasmine Cheng | Queen Mary, University of London |
Treasurer | Foong Lily | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Careers Development Officer | Arthur Ng Wei Meng | King's College London |
Human Rights & Activism Officer | Pang Jo Fan | University of Hertfordshire |
Editor | Justine Tan
Vivek V Velan |
Cardiff University
University of Hertfordshire |
KPUM Executive Committee 2012/13 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Ariff Hafizi Mohd Radzi | University of Bristol |
Vice President | Julius Yee Sher Xern | University of Exeter |
General Secretary | Ang Pei-Hsia | University College London |
Treasurer | Ida Thien Feng Feng | University College London |
Careers Development Officer | Shaun Kua | University of Oxford |
Executive | Maxine Shaun Hui Chng | London School of Economics and Political Science |
KPUM Executive Committee 2011/12 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Chua Sher Hann | University College London |
Vice President | En Quan Chuah | University of Cambridge |
General Secretary | Malini Subramanium | University of Manchester |
Treasurer | Sandra Soh | University of Manchester |
Executive | Ariff Hafizi Mohd Radzi
Ida Thien Feng Feng Julius Yee Sher Xern Muhammad Afiq Sallehuddin |
University of Bristol
University College London University of Exeter London School of Economics and Political Science |
KPUM Executive Committee 2010/11 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Isaac Cheah | City University |
Vice President | Esther Ho | City University |
General Secretary | Natalie Tan | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Treasurer | Wilson Cheah | City University |
Events Director | John Ling
Muhd. Azim |
London School of Economics and Political Science
London School of Economics and Political Science |
Manchester Representative | Amelia Chan | University of Manchester |
KPUM Executive Committee 2009/10 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Yip Su Jean | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Vice President | John Lee | London School of Economics and Political Science |
General Secretary | Tan Wei Yi | City University |
Treasurer | Yap Ji Shao | King's College London |
Events Director | Anis Syarizad
Shaun Tan |
King's College London
City University |
KPUM Executive Committee 2008/09 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Ng Zhu Hann | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Vice President | Ainul Aizat Ahmad Ishak | City University |
General Secretary | Istee Cheah | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Assistant General Secretary | Chow Le Vond | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Treasurer | Ren Jin Liang | King's College London |
Events Director | Alvin Chai
Lee Chongshen Lee Wen Long Nimalan Devaraja Rachel Low Wah Chin |
City University
King's College London London School of Economics and Political Science King's College London City University |
KPUM Executive Committee 2005/06 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Soo Choo Kean | University of Nottingham |
Vice President | Zarul Aiman | University of Nottingham |
General Secretary | Justin Tay | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Treasurer | Qurratul Ain Zainul | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Events Director | Joachim Leong | University of Nottingham |
IT Director | Azmimi Ahmad Pharmy | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Membership Director | Taufiq Iskandar Jamingan | London School of Economics and Political Science |
KPUM Executive Committee 2004/05 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Alan Ling Sie Kiong | University of Sheffield |
Vice President | Lim Hern Gene | Queen Mary, University of London |
General Secretary | Siti Fatimah Mohd Shahrom | University of Nottingham |
Treasurer | Norariefah binti Mohd Iqbal | London School of Economics and Political Science |
Membership Director | Nuurunnajah Che Omar | University of Nottingham |
KPUM Executive Committee 2002/03 | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Institution |
President | Liang Shih Jern | University College London |
Vice President | Eunice Tan Sze Yin | King's College London |
General Secretary | Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad | University College London |
Treasurer | Joyce Tang | King's College London |
Events Director | Ker-Shuen Too | University College London |
Membership Officer | Jennifer Lee En Ze | University College London |
Postgraduate Officer | Erika Ling Wei Chen | University of Manchester |
Newsletter Editor | Drisha Natarajan | King's College London |
Committee Member | Ida Harniza Johar
Wan Mohd Firdaus |
London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Nottingham |
Criticism
KPUM has been criticized over its focus on London. Most, if not all, of the events held in the United Kingdom are held in London, making it more difficult for students from other regions to attend. Furthermore, the composition of its committees in recent years has seen London universities and London BPTC providers heavily overrepresented. Committees are often dominated by students from the City Law School, King's College London, and the London School of Economics.
Another common criticism centers around KPUM's sometimes conflicting goals of obtaining funding from firms in Malaysia as well as promoting justice and free discussion and debate. Criticism comes from both sides, with some advocating a stronger, more principled stance, and others advocating a more cautious approach in order to avoid upsetting firms so that more funding can be obtained. The balance may tip one way or the other depending on the views of incumbent committee members.
References
- 1 2 "About KPUM". www.kpum.org. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
External links
Official website - http://www.kpum.org/
See also
- Past KPUM Board of Directors
- Malaysian Bar