According to the list posted on the Legal Profession Qualifying Board’s website, only 189 full passes were recorded, with 157 others getting through on conditional passes.
A conditional pass is offered when candidates fail one of the five papers, allowing them to repeat the subject for a maximum of three times to qualify for the CLP. The supplementary examination is also held once a year.
Checks with the graduate roll at the website showed there were 224 full passes (17%) in 2021 and 310 (30%) the following year. In 2023, 439 students passed in the first batch and 162 in the second group for the year, making up 34% of the total number of candidates. Last year, 332 or 30% of candidates obtained full passes.
It is not known how many candidates sat for the examination this year. CLP director Nik Rosmilawati Nik Yusoff did not respond to FMT’s queries on the matter.
According to lawyers who have sat for the examination, between 1,000 and 1,200 candidates sit for the first examination and the supplementary paper annually to obtain the CLP to start their nine-month pupillage.
The qualifying board has come under fire for several years over the low number of CLP passes. As those who fail can only sit for the examination a maximum of four times, many lawyers are unable to practice despite having law degrees because of this restriction.
The Malaysian Bar has called for a common examination for all lawyers to obtain their CLP, which would standardise the entrance system for law graduates from all public universities, the government-linked Malaysian Multimedia University and certain universities abroad.
In July, deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran announced that the board had formed a task force to carry out an eight-month study on a common bar course to replace the CLP.
The task force, which began its study on Aug 1, comprises experts from public and private universities, along with representatives of the Bar. It will design the syllabus, teaching methods and assessment standards.
Kulasegaran said officials from the board, which is headed by the attorney-general, visited the UK to study how the Bar Training Course was being run.