Luqman's musings

  Here is a post on Facebook from this morning, dated 6 May 2026 Are Malaysians civic minded people? What are our worst traits? What is needed to change ourselves to be a truly civilised society? Here are my thoughts: No, Malaysians (including Sabahans) are not as civic-minded as a truly civilised society demands. We have pockets of kindness—helping neighbours during floods or festivals—but when it comes to public issues, collective responsibility, or holding power accountable, too many of us fall short. We treat “civic mindedness” as optional, something for “someone else” to handle.

  Since 2019, I have lodged complaints with the Sabah Advocates Disciplinary Board (SADB). In 2019, I complained about lawyers taking instructions from a bankrupt. In 2023, I complained about misrepresentation by a firm claiming to act for a government body when it was not even on the panel. In 2025, I asked for a waiver of the filing fee to complain about a lawyer who had produced Particulars of Subsale that were fabricated. And in April 2026, I again requested a waiver of the RM100 filing fee because I am a B40 SARA recipient .

  In Sabah, the push for full implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is often framed as a noble struggle for greater autonomy — the right to manage our own affairs, land, immigration, resources, and a fairer share of revenue. Proponents argue we were promised special safeguards when Malaysia was formed, and much of that has been diluted over the decades. But here’s a question many ordinary Sabahans are asking: What is the point of struggling for more autonomy when we struggle with basic service delivery under the autonomy we already have?

    The above is the letter from Ronny Cham & Co. I wrote 3 emails to Puan Rosemary Ahping , the GM of LPPB , which were not replied. Then, I wrote to Puan Cristilla Korok , the head of the legal department of LPPB. Here is my email and her reply:

My Struggle to File a Complaint Against a Lawyer as a B40 SARA Recipient in Sabah In Malaysia, we often hear that the legal profession is self-regulating and that disciplinary boards exist to protect the public from professional misconduct. But what happens when the very system meant to uphold standards places financial and procedural barriers that effectively silence ordinary citizens — especially those from the B40 group ?

  In my previous post, I discussed the intimidating warning that comes with an IPCC complaint: the threat of fines or jail time for providing false information under Section 34 of Act 839 . After I shared that, I asked myself: "What if I make a mistake? What if I misremember a detail? Am I going to jail for a slip of the tongue?" The short answer is no. To understand why, we have to look at the "spirit of the law" and a concept called Good Faith (or bona fide ).