(Oral)

Gopal Sri Ram JCA:

This is the judgment of the court.

The respondent before us is a Malaysian citizen. In 1993 he graduated from the National University of Singapore. He obtained an LLB Honours. He stayed on in Singapore. He read in Chambers there. After completing his pupillage he was called to the Singapore Bar. He practised in Singapore for approximately nineteen months. Thereafter he returned home to Malaysia. He wanted to have himself called, admitted and enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of these courts. He sought and found a pupil master, Mr. George Pathmanathan. Mr. Pathmanathan is an advocate and solicitor admitted and enrolled under the provisions of the Legal Profession Act 1976 ("the Act"). Mr. Pathmanathan had, we have been advised from the Bar by learned counsel appearing for the appellant, a current practising certificate at all times material to this appeal. In other words he could appear and plead any case at any level before any of the Courts of Semenanjung Malaysia. Now, Mr. Pathmanathan also has a practice on the island of Labuan. It is in his Chambers there that the respondent attended as a pupil. In due course the respondent presented his p