Ipoh lawyers are slower?

Ipoh lawyers are slower, and that is the impression of the business community in Kuala Lumpur. And that was what a mid-senior lawyer from Kuala Lumpur, who happens to be 3 years my junior as far as being called to the Bar is concerned, told me. I had the opportunity to talk about legal practice with him while waiting for a court case, where we are the parties' respective solicitors, to be called for hearing.

My best shot at justifying the "not so kind impression" is this: it is all about PACE. The pace in KL, as Kuala Lumpur is better known, is way much faster than Ipoh. In KL everything seems to be in a hurry and everybody is always in a hurry. Opportunities there seem to offered on "first come first serve" basis. One cannot expect KL to have a similar pace with Ipoh, especially when KL is the nation's capital city and the centre off all business and trading activities of the country. It would be unbefitting of KL if it were to share the pace now moving Ipoh.The kind of pace similar or closest to KL may be found in Penang or Johor Bahru.

But things are not the same in Ipoh. People are more laid back here. There are business activities in Ipoh minus the hustle and bustle. Competition is less fierce in Ipoh compared with KL. Correct me if I were wrong, that the so-called pace is also influenced by the attitude of the people. I guess Ipoh people tolerate "can do" attitude whilst orang KL tolerate less or not at all.

My lawyer friend form KL was also taken aback by the way business was being conducted by the Court in Ipoh. According to him judges and magistrates in KL would attempt to dispose of their cases as fast as they could, unlike in Ipoh where the court officials are readily willing to grant postponement and adjournments. As for me, there are justifiable reasons for that. Registration of court cases in Kuala Lumpur, be it the higher or lowers courts, may be double or triple than those registered in Ipoh. Just imagine what would happen if court official is KL were to subscribe to laid back attitude. I can imagine only one: backlog of court cases. It is the fear for the need to explain away the reasons behind such backlog to their superiors that those court officials in KL have to rush with settling their court cases as fast as the could. It still lingers in me that "justice delayed is justice denied". And it also lingers in me that "justice rushed is justice denied".

To my lawyer friend form KL, do enjoy legal practice as it is. You may have felt like speeding in Ferrari which later turned into Kancil upon reaching Ipoh. But it is good for you to learn to ride a Kancil as it is not forever that you can keep and maintain a Ferrari.

Things get more excited

Petrol price going up. Rice price not going down. Statutory declaration by Raja Petra Kamaluddin [I don't mind for not getting his name right, he is not that important]. Police report against Anwar for sodomy. Statutory declaration by PI Bala. Again, a statutory declaration by PI Bala distracting the earlier one.

Aren't things getting more and more excited in Malaysia? Once there was a time I dread reading local newspapers because there were no news at all actually. But not today. Not when there are so many happenings worth reporting by all types of media and worth reading by those keen to know. Newspapers have no longer become the faithful reporter as they used to be, in fact it has gradually become the arena to make accusations and to hurl dissatisfaction.

Things around us might be getting more and more exciting. But, what about us? What about our lives? Are we personally getting more and more excited too? Are our lives more exiting than ever? Well, that is in the eye of the beholder? And definitely not for me. What about you? Whay about yours?