KUALA LUMPUR Former Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif (pic) was accepted as advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on Wednesday (Jan 17).

       The 72-year-old retired judge was called to the Bar before High Court judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

       In congratulating Md Raus, Justice Wan Ahmad Farid said the petitioner was no stranger to the legal fraternity as he spent his entire adult life serving the country.

       "Always remember two things when you deal with your client. First is communication. Unprompted communication is something that I think is really easy for lawyers to do, but so few actually do it.

       "Reaching out to a client with an update, whether it’s significant or not, is a great way to show involvement in the matter. It helps them feel that you are genuinely focused on their issue.

       "Secondly, on top of communicating clearly and without being prompted, you’ve got to ensure your client understands exactly what you can do for them. Managing expectations is vital for avoiding disappointment down the road.

       "Don’t make promises you can’t keep, as this can erode your clients’ trust. In short, setting realistic expectations and informing your clients about what lies behind them is better," said Justice Wan Ahmad.

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       At today's "long call” ceremony, Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin helped Md Raus put on the robe.

       Md Raus’ admission as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya was proposed by lawyer Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun.

       In his speech to admit Md Raus, who was born in Negeri Sembilan in 1951, Mohd Hafarizam described him as a person with vast experience as a Deputy Public Prosecutor, senior federal lawyer, legal adviser, magistrate and also a Sessions Court judge.

       "I am confident that with the experience and knowledge that the petitioner (Md Raus) has, he will prove that he is the 'best in both worlds', great on the judge's bench and at the lawyer's table," he said.

       He said Md Raus is known to be stern and independent in his mind and gives sound judgments and cited the case of the Perak constitutional crisis case in 2009 involving Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

       Meanwhile, Solicitor-General II Datuk Suzana Atan, who appeared for the Attorney-General, and lawyer Suhirthamalar Sandrasecaram, for the Malaysian Bar, said they have no objections to the admission of the former judge to the Bar.

       Md Raus held the post of chief justice from April 2017 until he stepped down in July 2018.

       He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Malaya in 1976 and held the post of Court of Appeal president from September 2011 to April 2017.

       In 1994, Md Raus was appointed as Judicial Commissioner at the High Court here before being appointed as High Court Judge in 1996 and became a Court of Appeal Judge in 2006. - Bernama