October 19, 2016

BEFORE Her Ladyship Madam Justice Dato Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad

Admission Speech

If it  pleases you,   My Lady,
I, ALEX CHANG HUEY WAH, will appear for Your  Petitioner, JOANNE HEE PIK YEE  and  my learned friend  Madam Shazreen Nadia Zulklipli is appearing for  the Attorney General’s Chambers she has already been introduced earlier, however  Miss Rajewery Paramasevam will now be representing The Bar Council and  the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee.

My Lady,

Your Petitioner was born in Kuantan  and is the second child of the three children of her parents  Mr. Hee Kang Wei and Madam Ho Lai Peng.  They are   present with us this morning together with Your Petitioner’s grandmother.  I seek leave for them to be recognised.

Your Petitioner was conferred a Bachelor of Laws Degree with   Honours from the University of London.  Thereafter she obtained her Certificate in Legal Practice in October 2015 on her first attempt.

My Lady,

When I asked Your Petitioner “why do you want to be a lawyer?”, Your Petitioner was candid  to admit that it was never her dream to be one of us.  Your Petitioner however, was hesitant to tell me the real answer to that question; not until two weeks ago.

This, she said is “something really personal to her”.

I was told by Your Petitioner that her initial dream was to be a pathologist, this I am sure was inspired by the TV series CSI.
She took  law because of a promise she made to her late brother whose  ultimate dream was to be a successful lawyer.   Your Petitioner  will complete this journey for and on behalf of him.  She hopes that her late brother whom she still feels closely connected to is   looking down now with pride and admiration.

Your Petitioner read and completed her pupilage at  Messrs Heiley Hassan, Tan & Partners under the  tutelage  of my learned friend,  her pupil Master,  Kingston Tan Esq. Your Petitioner would like to seize this opportunity to convey her heartfelt appreciation to her master,   for always offering her invaluable advice, wisdom and guidance and for always impelling  her forward.  Your Petitioner told me that she learnt a lot from her Master that no textbook and not even the  Harvard Law School could have taught her.

Above all, Your Petitioner would like to convey her  gratitude to her parents    Your Petitioner attributed her single attempt feat in her CLP examinations to the special attention she received from her mother  during that period  so that she could eat and rest well.

To her father, who  doesn’t  “wear his heart on his sleeve”,  for always believing that she can do better.

Your petitioner reminded not to forget to thank her younger brother, Justin  who has always been her biggest fan.

My Lady,

Your Petitioner has also impressed upon me to extend her gratitude to her best friends, Wong Kai Xin and Jodie Tang who have always been there for her through thick and thin and for giving her strength when she needed it the most and also  her extended family members.

Last but not least, Your Petitioner would like to take this opportunity to record her thanks to her fellow colleagues, peers and friends in the office for their willingness to share their knowledge and rendering help and support to Your Petitioner during her 9 months.

Your Petitioner calls them the pieces of her puzzle, which somewhat helped to shape her into the person she is today.

My Lady,
since Your Petitioner is retained as a legal assistant by her pupil master, I would like to present her with a quote from Abraham Lincoln…

“The leading rule for the lawyer, as for the man of every other calling, is diligence.  Leave nothing for to-morrow  which can be done to-day. Never let your correspondence fall behind. Whatever piece of business you have in hand, before stopping, do all the labour pertaining to it which can then be done.”

From the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume II, “Notes for a Law Lecture” (July 1, 1850), p. 81.

My Lady,

I verily believe that Your Petitioner’s papers are in order, she is a fit and proper person to be admitted and enrolled, as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya and the relevant bodies have no objections.

Wherefore I humbly pray for an order in terms.   I am obliged.

ORDER

My lady

I seek leave from this Honourable Court to invite  learned counsel and my dear friend, Kingston Tan Esq., Your Petitioner’s pupil-master to robe Your Petitioner.  Today incidentally is Kingston’s birthday.  I would like to record that this admission proceeding will also serve as one part of my learned friend’s birthday celebration,  for he will be receiving as a present,  this bright young  Petitioner into the extended family of Messrs Heiley Hassan, Tan & Partners.

We are obliged.