While the elders of every nation had stories of bravery and triumph to tell their children, the stories I hear of Malaysia wistfully involve events muddled by the crumbling of interracial peace, political upheaval and corruption. Controversies of discrimination, unjustified detention and election rigging indicate exploitation of legislative loopholes by the past government.
Having just experienced a major turnover within Malaysia’s political landscape in last year’s general election, I began to ponder: Will justice be sought to right the wrongs conceived by the past kleptocratic government? Can there be atonement for the years of institutional discrimination on minorities? Exploring how governments enact change by law-making, I realise that only an education in law will serve me in my quest to correct deficiencies of the legislation.
Proactive participation in Junior Chamber International unravels me to issues surrounding statelessness; Notably, government-operated hospitals withholding emergency medical care to stateless people is detrimental to these communities. Observing how pro bono lawyers address related issues at policy level confirms my pathway as a lawyer.
Issues revealing inhumanity compels me to question the letter of law in terms of jurisprudence and ethics. Does the law draw a parallel to the moral compass of humanity? Is the moral obligation to defy the law justifiable? Following this pursuit, reading “Philosophy and Theory of Law’ by Asmah L. Yeon offers perspective to ethics in Medical Law, such as the principle of beneficence in patient-subject trials and issues of controversial medical innovations.
My grounding in science further allows me to better interpret the mechanism of law in protecting consumers from dishonest scientific research. Besides, it is known that the Hippocratic Oath bounds doctors to implement their knowledge and expertise in evaluating an ethical approach to medical treatment while also taking account of the Nuremberg Code. Ergo, the hypocritical exclusion of stateless people from medical treatment is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath and human rights by the legislature. Moreover, a stimulating internship at a law firm has involved me in the application of the law in diverse fields; Namely, the Sabah Land Ordinance. I learned the concept of ‘Power of Attorney’, motivating me to consider equitable rights garnered by the transfer of land.
Learning Economics exposes me to the volatile connection between law and economics. Particularly, Malaysia’s Competition Act demonstrates how economic issues shape the drafting of the legislation. I realised that an unregulated free market system elicits anti-competitive behaviour by dominant firms through collusion and price system manipulation. This reveals that a truly ‘free’ market system is only hypothetical; Legislative intervention must act to preserve the integrity of the free market. Chemistry, Biology and Maths have instilled me with first principle thinking, a skill important for scrutinising the letter of law. However, in Orwell’s ‘Politics and the English Language’, he suggests orthodoxy in academics is detrimental to creative writing; Adopting his lessons hence led me to achieve first prize in the Cassini Scientist for A Day essay contest organised by NASA.
Self-discipline, assiduous time organisation and accountability are salient attributes to foster as a prospective law student; At college, serving as a member of the Student Council and as the Editorial Board’s editor have strengthened my resolve. Acknowledging that powerful oratory skills form the crucial backbone of a legal career, I joined Toastmasters International. Doing speeches and debates have bolstered my ability in critical thinking.
I fervently revel myself in philosophy, economic principles and social analysis. It is thus my humble belief that these attributes that I have accumulated, coupled with my passion for Law, shall propel me towards this intellectual endeavour.
