On the weekend of 21-22 November 2009 members of the Young Lawyers’ Committee (YLC) retreated to Cameron Highlands for a team building and brain storming session. This is their official report so don’t expect any juicy details. LoyarBurok will continue its efforts to obtain an independent unofficial report to supplement this official report. (Photos courtesy of Seira Sacha and Khaizan Sharizad)
The highlight of the trip was the pow-wow session on Saturday night, where we put our heads together to chart the direction of the YLC for the coming year. Among others, it was resolved that the YLC would take initiatives to address issues which concern young lawyers today. We would work towards asserting the needs of young lawyers, for example, for better working conditions. There was also discussion on how more active participation could be encouraged among all members of the YLC.
Cameron Highlands was quite a place to unwind, a nice respite from the city and the gruelling reality of legal practice. Our first stop on Saturday was the strawberry farm where we had our hands at picking strawberries. Later that afternoon, back at the resort, the more adventurous among us embarked on the Jim Thompson trail. Jim Thompson was a man famous for his mysterious disappearance. Our destination was the Moonlight Bungalow, where he was last sighted. The short walk past quiet paths and lush foliage eventually brought us to the bungalow, which exuded eeriness even in the light of day.
Later that night, after the pow-wow session, Edmund test ran his MyConsti training modules, which provided a good springboard for discussions on fundamental rights and gave us some food for thought.
On Sunday morning, it was raining still. But this did not dampen our spirits. After breakfast, we stopped by the local market to snap up some local produce. We then charged off to the Boh tea plantation. The drive through the plantation was an undoubtedly challenging one, through narrow paths and uneven ground, but offered breathtaking views of the estate. We visited the tea production factory and had tea and scones at the café, which was perched on the side of a hill, with a veranda overlooking the lush green and rolling hills of the tea plantation. That drew a close to our trip and we headed back down to Kuala Lumpur.
We parted with better ties fostered, focused expectations for the YLC for the coming year and fun memories of strawberries, scones and camaraderie.