KUALA LUMPUR: Annual audits of the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) will ensure transparency and good governance, says Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran.
He said that this initiative aligned with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's call for greater transparency and accountability in statutory bodies.
"We are particularly concerned about the data on passes and failures in the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) examination and how the board's funds are managed.
"The government will continue to monitor all aspects of the board to ensure transparency and promote good governance, in line with the Prime Minister's objectives," he said.
Kulasegaran said that the board collected millions of ringgit annually from law graduates sitting for the CLP exams, yet auditing of its accounts ceased abruptly in 2007.
"When I questioned the director of the CLP examination, she was unable to explain why the audits stopped," he said.
"This is clearly wrong, and the amendments to the Legal Profession Act, introducing Section 9A, will address nearly two decades of oversight gaps."
Last week, the Dewan Rakyat passed amendments to the Legal Profession Act 1976, mandating that the board undergo annual audits by the Auditor-General.
The board currently holds RM55.2 million in funds, and audits have not been conducted for 17 years.
On Nov 6, Kulasegaran told the Dewan Rakyat that the board had collected RM4.26 million from CLP candidates between January and September 2024.
This includes RM148,000 in application processing fees, RM3.01 million in registration and exam fees, RM71,000 in repeat subject fees, and RM1.03 million in fees for candidates retaking all subjects.
He also said that the board relied heavily on the collection of CLP fees, and that these fees were relatively high.
He added that of the 1,058 candidates who sat for the CLP this year, 200 passed, 164 received conditional passes, and 694 failed.