The Second Annual Event of the Attorney General’s Chambers of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore (the Event) was held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia from 19 – 21 April 2007. It was attended by 18 participants from Brunei Darussalam, 69 participants from Malaysia and 47 participants from Singapore.

The Event commenced with the Attorney General of Malaysia, The Honourable Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail giving his welcome remarks to all participants.

There were altogether five papers presented by speakers from Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore. The first session began with the topic of Asset Recovery and Management of Proceeds of Crime. It was chaired by Y.Bhg. Dato’ Idrus Harun (Solicitor General of Malaysia) and presented by the speaker from Brunei Darussalam, Dayang Aldila binti Haji Mohd Salleh (Senior Counsel, Criminal Justice Division); Malaysia, Dzulkifli bin Ahmad (Head of Forfeiture of Property Unit, Prosecution Division); and Singapore, Lawrance Ang Boon Kong (Principal Senior State Counsel, Criminal Justice Division).

Session two was on the topic of Discipline and Conduct of Civil Servants. It was chaired by The Honourable Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli (Attorney General of Brunei). The speakers were from Brunei Darussalam, Nicholas Brian Lim Kong Yin (Counsel, Criminal Justice Division); Malaysia, Azizah binti Nawawi (Head of Constitutional and Administrative Law Unit, Civil Division); and Singapore, Thean Pik Yuen Valerie (Senior State Counsel, Civil Division).

The third and last session for the first day of the Event was on the Challenges in Drafting / Law Reform. It was chaired by Y.Bhg. Datin Zaleha binti Yusof (Parliamentary Draftsman, AGC Malaysia). The presenters were from Brunei Darussalam, Dayang Norismizan binti Haji Ismail (Deputy Senior Counsel, Legislative Drafting Division); Malaysia, Sarojini a/p Kandasamy (Head of Infrastructure and Technology Unit, Drafting Division); and Singapore: Ter Kim Cheu (Parliamentary Counsel / Principal Senior State Counsel, Legislation Division).

Session four took place on the second day of the Event, bringing forth the topic of Negotiating FTAs – Lessons Learnt. It was chaired by The Honourable Mr. Chao Hick Tin (Attorney General of Singapore). The speakers were from Brunei Darussalam, Dayang Hajah Siti Norishan binti Haji Abdul Ghafor (Deputy Senior Counsel, International Law Division); Malaysia, Rohana binti Abd. Malek (Head of International Trade and Finance Unit, International Affairs Division); and Singapore, Sivakant Tiwari (Principal Senior State Counsel, International Affairs Division).

The fifth session was on the topic of Contemporary Rights of Women and Children. It was chaired by The Honourable Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (Attorney General of Malaysia). The speakers were Pengiran Hajah Zabaidah binti Pengiran Haji Kamaludin (Assistant Solicitor-General) from Brunei Darussalam; Mohd Radzi Harun (Head of Human Rights and International Organization Unit, International Affairs Division) from Malaysia; and from Singapore, Lionel Yee Woon Chin (Senior State Counsel, International Affairs Division).

The Official Ceremony took place on 21 April 2007. It was graced by the Right Honourable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. Also present was the Honourable Mr. Chan Sek Keong, Chief Justice of Singapore and the Attorneys General of Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Among those who attended were the Chief Minister of Sabah, the two Deputy Chief Ministers and Federal and State officials. In his speech the Honourable Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail traced the development of the Annual Event and highlighted the many areas of cooperation that the three Attorney General’s Chambers had embarked on. A special tribute was paid to the Honourable Mr Chan Sek Keong, Chief Justice of Singapore, who as the Attorney General of Singapore, had initiated the Annual Event.

The Keynote Address was then delivered by the Right Honourable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Deputy Prime Minister called for strong collaboration among the three countries in finding effective solutions to counter problems relating to security and stability. The participants of the Event were urged to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and to keep abreast with the current issues that impact their countries. He reminded the participants that “the law is a living thing, constantly changing and transforming to suit evolving circumstances. As government lawyers in a world with fading borders, you must be keenly aware of those changes and other relevant developments around you and your areas of specialisation”. A multimedia presentation produced by the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia was then shown. It showed the coming together of the three Attorneys General to organise the Annual Event. The activities and programmes held in 2006 were showcased.

The Event concluded with the Official Dinner with the theme “Glitter and Glamour”. In addition to the fine dinner, participants were entertained by the Kinabalu Bamboo Music Orchestra and treated to a cultural extravaganza of traditional dances. The highlight was the performance by the officers of the Attorney General’s Chambers of each country.

Included in the programme of the Event were team building activities and a visit to the Monsopiad Cultural Village.

The Third Annual Event will be held in 2008 in Brunei Darussalam.