PARLIAMENT The government will seek to restrict the scope of foreign lawyers in the country’s legal profession after tabling an amendment to the Legal Profession Act today.

According to the Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2012, a foreign lawyer will be allowed entry into Malaysia only if he or she is advising clients on matters not related to Malaysian laws.

If granted entry, the lawyers cannot not stay for more than 60 days in a calendar year.

They will, however, be allowed to enter for arbitration purposes.

Last year, the government had amended the Legal Profession Act to allow certified foreign firms to enter Malaysia in a bid to liberalise the legal profession in the country.

The government has said that this amendment tabled today further increases the liberalisation process, albeit with strict conditions to bar foreign legal practitioners from advising on local legal matters.

The bill was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri this morning.

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