THE Kuching High Court has set September 7 to hear lawyer Voon Lee Shan’s application for leave to intervene in the applications by two former top judges from Sabah to be allowed to practise in Sarawak

Voon’s application to stop former chief justice Richard Malanjum and former chief justice of Sabah and Sarawak David Wong Dak Wah from being admitted to the state’s roll of advocates will be heard in chambers.

Earlier today, the court, presided by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, adjourned hearing Malanjum and Wong’s admission applications until Voon’s leave application is heard.

Malanjum retired as chief justice in April last year while Wong retired last February.

Both are Sabahans and a barred from practising in the state in their private capacity under Section 2(2)(a), (b) or (c) of the Advocates Ordinance 1953 that do not allow non-Sarawakians to practise unless they get special exemption or are admitted to the state’s roll.

Voon last Wednesday filed a notice of application, with a certificate of urgency, as intervener to object the applications.

A pro-independence politician, the president of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), has made Malanjum and Wong’s applications a hot-button issue when he said if their applications are allowed, it “will open the floodgates for West Malaysian lawyers to practice in Sarawak”.

“It is in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 that lawyers outside Sarawak are restricted to practise law in Sarawak unless they could meet the requirements of the law under the Sarawak Advocates Ordinance 1953,” Voon said after filing his notice.

“If this right could be taken away, there is nothing more Sarawak could protect under the Malaysia Agreement because if allowed, the autonomy on immigration rights could also be diluted or removed,” he added.

Voon said he is not alone in objecting to admission

“I am not working alone on this matter and neither it is on my own volition to intervene.”

De facto law minister Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali said yesterday the state would not compromise on the law to bar non-Sarawakians from practising in the state.

“We are firm and will not give up any of our rights,” she said. – August 28, 2020.