TWO DAP parliamentarians have suggested several plans to allow candidates of the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) to sit their examinations despite the country’s high number of Covid-19 cases. 

Bangi MP Dr Ong Kian Ming and Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching however said more measures needed to be discussed so that the welfare of the 2021 batch of CLP students are not jeopardised further. 

They added that the Covid-19 epidemic had severely impacted about 1,500 to 2,000 CLP candidates from progressing in the next stage of their career by hindering the examinations from being held physically. 

Ong and Teo acknowledged that so far there was yet a specific date for the CLP examinations to be held, and urged the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) to come up with its own standard operating procedure (SOP) rather than wait for the National Security Council to decide.

They also said that the Malaysian Bar and private institutions of higher learning should play a more active role in advocating the cause of CLP students and the programme more generally. 

“As more and more adults in Malaysia are fully vaccinated, physical examinations should be able to be conducted subject to strict SOP. 

“The LPQB must come up with its own SOP and not wait for NSC to make them one. If more than 400,000 students can sit for their SPM this year, it should not be that challenging to arrange for a physical examination for 2,000 students or less. 

“There is no reason as to why the Malaysian Bar cannot take a more proactive role in advocating for the rights of those who are taking their CLP examinations,” they said. 

The CLP or PSAG examinations are a prerequisite for candidates to be admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya and/or Sabah and Sarawak. 

Ong and Teo also said that under the current situation that may hinder the physical examinations from taking place, all stakeholders should discuss the possibility of having hybrid or online exams for CLP. 

“Last year, the Rules of Court 2012 had been amended to embrace remote communication technology and this had allowed proceedings in court to be conducted online. 

“Similarly, the LPQB ought to make sense of the new normal and welcome the possibility for the CLP examinations to be held online with safeguards such as e-Proctoring being implemented.” – September 6, 2021.