Kulasegaran told the Dewan Rakyat today he has received letters from lawyers who questioned the need for the trip, which was meant to study how bar courses were conducted.

“The lawyers were questioning the need to go overseas (to learn about bar courses) when that information is available here (in Malaysia),” he said while winding up the debate on the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report Series 3 for his ministry today

He said the board had also held a dialogue with Malaysian students in the UK, which he described as “a good thing”, but it would have been better held locally, where “99% of the students are located”.
He was responding to RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), who questioned the board’s rationale for the visit.

Kulasegaran also urged the Public Accounts Committee to investigate the legal board, noting that its finance records have not been audited for the last 17 years.

Last October, the Dewan Rakyat was told the board had not been audited for that period, when RM20.5 million was spent on operational costs.

On Aug 29, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said had disclosed that the board’s UK trip cost a total of RM515,125.

The costs included flight tickets, lodging, vehicle hire in London, a daily allowance for delegates, food during the public dialogue session, and souvenirs.

According to Azalina, the delegates had meetings with the University of Law, City Law School, Legal Services Board, Solicitors Regulation Authority, Lincoln’s Inn, University of London, and the Bar Standards Board.

‘Legal board should come clean’

Kulasegaran said the auditor-general will audit the board’s financial statements from this year, in line with amendments made to the Legal Profession Act 1976 in 2024.

The audit of the board’s 2025 financial statements will be held in 2026 after the close of the financial year.

Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) and Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) protested, saying the auditor-general should be allowed to audit the board’s financial records for the past decade at least.

Kulasegaran said the amendments to the Legal Profession Act were prospective and not retrospective in effect, which meant that the auditor-general could not force the board to hand over its financial statements from the past 17 years.

Nonetheless, he said, he will ask the board to voluntarily audit its finances in the past nearly two decades and present its findings to Parliament.

“It is unacceptable that they have not been auditing their finances for the past 17 years, as Malaysians are demanding answers,” he said.