KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Law Society (SLS) has welcomed proposed amendments to the Legal Profession Act 1976 that would finally grant Sabah and Sarawak representation on the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB), calling it a long-overdue correction to an unfair system.
SLS president Datuk Mohamed Nazim Maduarin (
pic) said on Friday that decisions made by the LPQB have shaped entry routes into the Sabah Bar for decades despite neither Bornean state having a voice on the board.
He said the lack of representation had real consequences, as Sabah was required to accept and enforce qualification pathways — including the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) and public university law degrees — without the opportunity to scrutinise or influence the standards behind them.
Nazim said statutory representation from both states would restore fairness, strengthen accountability and allow Sabah and Sarawak to help safeguard the quality of legal education, including ensuring that the CLP remains rigorous and credible.
He added that the SLS hopes the amendments will be passed without dilution and that those appointed will meaningfully represent the realities of legal practice in the Bornean states while working with the LPQB to uphold professional standards.
