JUN
27
2025
Contract Law Reform Across the Causeway
Description
Earlier this year, the Legal Affairs Division (BHEEU) of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Department initiated an ambitious law reform exercise to undertake a comprehensive review of the Malaysian Contracts Act 1950. A Working Group comprising senior judges, academics and commercial law practitioners was set up to reform and modernise the Act so that it aligns with contemporary legal standards while meeting the needs of modern society.
Contract law developments of this magnitude in Malaysia, which is Singapore’s closest neighbout and most important trading partner, are of particular significance to the ASEAN region’s transnational commercial landscape. These law reform efforts will facilitate, at a systemic level, the regional convergence of the business laws of ASEAN member states, thereby furthering the single market aspirations of the ASEAN Economic Community.
The EW Barker Centre for Law & Business and Asian Law Institute (ASLI) are pleased to host this Workshop to provide members of the Working Group a platform to discuss their proposals for reforming this important piece of legislation with a broader audience. Participants will get a glimpse into the thought processes behind this law reform process, as well as the opportunity to learn how Malaysia’s future contract law framework is likely to be codified when the Act is updated by 2026. In addition, our guests are interested getting feedback from Workshop participants about the the proposed law reforms under consideration by the Working Group.
Workshop Convenor and Host:
- Dr Burton Ong, NUS Faculty of Law
- Emeritus Professor Tan Lee Meng, NUS Faculty of Law
Keynote Address on the Application of English Law by the Singapore Courts (“Their Law in Our Hands”)
by Mr Chan Sek Keong, former Chief Justice of Singapore and Distinguished Fellow of the NUS Faculty of Law
Members from the Committee for Review and Reform of Contract Law in Malaysia include:
- Justice Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera (Federal Court, Committee Chairperson)
- Mr Philip Koh Tong Ngee
- Mr Satish Ramachandran
- Assoc Professor Dr Adnan Trakic (Monash University Malaysia)
- Prof Zuhairah Ariff Abdul Ghadas (Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
- Mr Oon Chee Kheng
- Mr GK Ganesan
- Dr Ridoan Karim
- Mr Wong Tat Chung
- Dr David Fung
- Dato’ Mary Lim (Asian International Arbitration Centre)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Fees (if applicable) are to be paid before the commencement of the event with exception of e-invoices.
2. Fees paid are non-refundable.
3. Registration is transferable within the same organisation if the request is made at least one week in advance of the event.
4. By filling up this Registration Form,
i. Participants agree and consent that their personal data provided in this form may be collected, used, processed and disclosed by NUS and the event organisers for the purposes of processing their registration, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and all subsidiary legislation related thereto. In respect to disclosure, NUS may disclose participants personal data to third parties (which may be in or outside of Singapore) where necessary for such purposes.
ii. Participants will also consent to NUS taking photographs and videos for the purposes of event reporting, marketing, publicity, and media/social media. Participants further consent to NUS disclosing such photographs and videos to third party media entities (whether in Singapore or otherwise) for publicity purposes and NUS may identify them by name.
iii. NUS Law School and designated event organisers reserve the right to alter any of the programme or other arrangements for this event, including cancellation or postponement of the event, should circumstances so warrant.
Date and Time
Friday, 27th June 2025 9:00AM GMT+08:00
to
Saturday, 28th June 2025 1:00PM GMT+08:00
Organisation
Faculty of Law
Contact Email
ewbclb@nus.edu.sg
Location
Lee Sheridan Conference Room (Eu Tong Sen Building), 469G Bukit Timah Road, NUS Bukit Timah Campus