For UK law degree holders, one must fulfill the following criteria in order to qualify as a candidate of the CLP examination: SPM qualification with a minimum of 3 credit, a recognised law degree and STPM or A-Levels certification.

The Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) decided in 2005 that the UEC is no longer recognised as a qualification equivalent to SPM and STPM respectively for purposes of application as candidates to sit for the CLP Examination. An applicant who has a UEC is also required to possess a minimum of 2 principal passes at STPM or A-Levels.

First, even after the decision in 2005, the UEC (already fraught with problems of recognition), has always been accepted as a qualification for CLP examinations. In other words, the decision was never enforced and previously UEC students were able to register for CLP. So this begs the question, why now?

Secondly, UEC is recognised by top universities around the world,. So why is it not recognized by the LPQB? 2

Since the issue was highlighted a week ago, the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM) has urged the LPQB to give reasons for its decision, politicians from both sides of the divide have joined the debate, and Malay NGO Perkasa has threatened ‘war’ on the government if UEC is recognised in this beloved country where we wave the 1Malaysia flag.

This “sudden enforcement” not only affects prospective students but also current students, graduates, and those sitting for their current CLP classes. On a side note, not only are UEC students affected, so are diploma and foundation-holders from private colleges.

Some may say that it would be alright to retake your A-levels after completing the LLB. However, this does not make sense. Why should a student retake a pre-university course when they have already completed their university and graduate studies?

Imagine the costs and time involved! Also, even if a student wanted to retake their A-levels after finishing their LLB, regulations bar them from doing so.

The only other option besides CLP is the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) in the UK, which range from RM80,000 to RM100,000 in fees, excluding travel and living expenses. But this option is only available to those who can afford it. For the rest, they are at a dead end.

My request is that LPQB consults all the relevant stakeholders before enforcing the 2005 decision so that a proper implementation timeline can be put in place that is fair to all non-STPM and A-level law students.

Meanwhile, as a stopgap measure, ensure all existing non-STPM and UEC law students who intend to sit for the CLP exam would not be affected by the 2005 decision.

It is also clearly insufficient for LPQB to keep the regulations there but not enforce it temporarily – this leaves the students in limbo, not knowing when it may be enforced.

The application deadline for those who wish to sit for the coming CLP exams is on Dec 31, 2017. I ask the LPQB to stop quibbling over the matter and let the students take their exams.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.