Luqman's musings

    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:

  A parent’s duty vs. a regulator’s duty If I heard any rumour about my children, I would check it out with them immediately. That is basic parental responsibility.   So why should we expect less from a professional disciplinary body whose entire purpose is to protect the public and uphold standards in the legal profession? In March 2023, I sent a detailed complaint to the Sabah Advocates Disciplinary Board (SADB) regarding what I believed was clear misrepresentation by a law firm. Here is what I wrote:

  My wife and I were looking forward to the meeting at 2.30 pm when I received an email at 10.43 am and a telephone call a few minutes later saying the meeting scheduled for 2.30 pm has been postponed. I was, to put it mildly, disappointed. Here is the email from KKTP and my reply.  

This is not legal advice; it is general information. I copied the following definition from the internet: Section 94(3) of Malaysia's Legal Profession Act 1976 (LPA) defines "misconduct" for an advocate and solicitor as any professional conduct or omission, anywhere in the world, that constitutes grave impropriety. This definition encompasses a range of actions including criminal convictions, dishonesty, breaches of professional duties to the court, and violations of Bar Council rules on practice and etiquette. The purpose of this definition is to subject lawyers to disciplinary actions, such as striking off the Roll or suspension from practice, by the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board. Unfortunately, there is no specific Penal Code provision in Malaysia (including Sabah) that directly criminalizes a lawyer prolonging a case for improper purposes. However, such conduct can fall under:

  Since 2022, inquiries sent to LPPB ( Housing and Town Development Authority)  and DBKK (  Kota Kinabalu City Hall)  regarding the requirement for a retaining wall at Vistana Heights received no response. A soil test conducted by Applied Geotechnics (Sabah) Sdn. Bhd. before November 1997 recommended a retaining wall, which was incorporated into the development plan, including the final amended development plan of 2018. 

  Since 2022, I have sent multiple emails to the Sabah Housing and Town Development Board (LPPB) and Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) inquiring whether a retaining wall was mandated for the Vistana Heights development. No responses were received.

  The term "Little Napoleon" was coined by Malaysia’s fifth Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), to describe civil servants who mirror the arrogance, self-importance, and power-hungry tendencies of the 18th-century French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Initially used to critique lower-level bureaucrats, the term now applies to a broader, more alarming trend where senior officials, including heads of departments, exhibit behaviors that undermine the principles of democracy and public service.

  PUTRAJAYA:   Privatisation that ignores governance and accountability risks becoming "robbery by the minute," or what Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described as "piratisation." LINK Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the government must be open to feedback and criticism for the nation to progress. LINK  Here is my open criticism.  Empty Rhetoric in the Face of Bureaucratic Inaction

  Here are some extracts and my thoughts: Zaid Ibrahim: The integrity, credibility, and efficiency of Malaysia’s law enforcement agencies are under unprecedented scrutiny. Two major cases in Sabah have laid bare disturbing weaknesses in our government’s capability, and perhaps willingness to deliver truth and justice.

I read the following in our Daily Express yesterday, 20.7.2025 titled: PAM Sabah celebrates its Golden Jubilee. “Our aim is to reinforce PAM as a proactive platform not only for professional development but also for meaningful engagement with local authorities, educational institutions, and our members,” Daniel said. Ar. Daniel Koh Chung Hou is the current chairman of PAM (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia) Sabah Chapter. I will write a post on this tomorrow. Meanwhile here are background information to understand better my intended response to the newspaper article. 

    Tatal ke bawah untuk terjemahan dalam bahasa Melayu. Yesterday, I read a report in the Straits Times that resonated deeply with me. Below are the extracts from the report alongside my reflections. Extract: Court finds Selangor land office negligent, orders RM1.1mil award for land fraud victim. Judicial Commissioner Indra Nehru Savandiah ruled in favour of Ng Kin Song @ Ng Thian Song, finding that negligence and statutory breaches by the Selangor Land and Mines Department and the Klang Land Office had enabled the fraudulent transaction.   

  The following is an email I wrote to YAB Hajiji in February 2023.   From:luqmanm2002@yahoo.co.uk To:Hajiji.Noor@sabah.gov.my Cc:jacinta.yapp@sabah.gov.my Mon, 20 Feb 2023 at 10:00 Dear YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji. I sent you two emails via Datuk Dr. Roland Chia dated 23.12.2022 and again on 25.12.2022. I am sending this to your email address as I have yet to receive an acknowledgment from Datuk Dr. Roland Chia.

Kebanyakan (bukan semua) golongan kaya dan berkuasa di Sabah seolah-olah berkembang maju dengan kebodohan yang membingungkan. Menurut LJS, seorang individu misteri yang digelar “The Authority” memiliki pengaruh besar untuk mengarahkan Lembaga Jurukur Sabah menyembunyikan keputusan tinjauan aras tapak Vistana Heights pada Jun 2023. Jika ini benar, individu ini pasti antara yang paling berkuasa di Sabah, mengawal rentetan kuasa yang melangkaui sekadar satu pembangunan.

 Tatal ke bawah untuk membaca dalam Bahasa Melayu Here is my newspaper article that appeared in the Daily Express yesterday. LINK I have copied the contents for your ease of reading.   I AM writing with respect to your report on June 22, 2025, titled Capable Leadership with Integrity (Daily Express, https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/ 260908/capable-leadership-with-integrity/). In the article, Governor Tun Musa Aman, expressed his vision for Sabah to be governed with integrity, accountability, and wisdom, underpinned by sustainable development plans that prioritise the well-being of its people.

                                                     The image above is the directors of LJS                                            conducting the survey at Vistana Heights in June 2023.    Tatal ke bawah untuk membaca dalam Bahasa Melayu The Focus Malaysia article quotes Chief Minister Hajiji Noor emphasising the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition’s commitment to “transparent and competent governance” and confidence in the rule of law, with no interference in enforcement agencies like the MACC. Similarly, Tun Musa Aman’s call for “full integrity, trust, and wisdom” in governance during his 74th birthday celebration underscores a public narrative of accountability. However, my persistent issues with DBKK, LJS, and LPPB revea...

 Untuk Terjemahan ke Bahasa Melayu sila tatur ke bawah.  Here is my email dated 27.6.2025 to His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin addressed to his private secretary.  Dear Colonel Norzahari Efandy Bin Zakariah, I read with great interest the newspaper report on His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin’s keynote address at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies, as published in The Star on June 26, 2025 :

  I refer to my post yesterday found here. LINK . On November 22, 2022, I received a notice of demand from a lawyer claiming to represent Rosemary Ahping and Della E. Sinidol of the Lembaga Pembangunan Perumahan Dan Bandar (LPPB). Despite multiple emails to Ms. Ahping seeking confirmation of her authorization, I have received no response, hindering my ability to pursue a formal complaint with the Sabah Law Society regarding the lawyer’s conduct. LPPB is a state government body  responsible for public housing development in Sabah, Malaysia. They should be accountable to the general public and be more transparent. The General Manager and Chairman conduct themselves as if they are demi gods.  

  Sila tatal kebawah untuk Bahasa Melayu. Here is a Star newspaper report I read yesterday. On June 19, 2025, a circular issued by Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz, Director-General of Public Service in Malaysia, titled Prohibition on Making Public Statements Under Subregulation 19(1) of the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993 [P.U. (A) 395/1993], reminded civil servants to refrain from making public statements—oral or written—that could undermine government policies, decisions, or public perception. This directive emphasizes the importance of professionalism and loyalty among civil servants, such as those in the Sabah State Integrity Department, in maintaining public trust in government institutions.

                                                             In a recent Jesselton Times report , Ramli Amir urged Malaysia to adopt a corporate manslaughter law similar to the UK’s to hold companies accountable for fatal negligence. Ramli criticized Malaysia’s current legal framework, which lacks a specific offense for corporate manslaughter, making it challenging to prosecute companies. He explained: “The law requires proof that a ‘controlling mind,’ such as a director, was personally responsible, which is often difficult to establish. This gap leaves victims’ families without justice and allows companies to escape accountability for gross management failures leading to deaths.”

  小洞不 补 , 大洞吃苦 Xiao dong bu bu da dong chi ku This saying means that if you neglect small issues, they can escalate into bigger problems that can cause a lot of trouble for you later.