PETALING JAYA: The Legal Profession Qualifying Board has asked critics to stop censuring it for the delay in announcing the results of the last Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) examination, saying the blame lies in complications brought about by Covid-19.
Those circumstances were beyond the board’s control, said its chairman, Attorney-General Idrus Harun.
He said in a media statement that the board was aware that many candidates were eager to start their legal practice and he sought to assure them that the results would be released before the end of this month.
The 2020 examination was held from March 29 to April 8 this year because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Idrus said the board members collectively made the decision to conduct the examination this year after considering “all factors and circumstances in the best interest of everyone”.
“Sadly, many parents, candidates and even lecturers in private institutes of higher learning have censured the board for the delay,” he said.
The board initially planned to announce the results at the end of June, but the plan was derailed by the lockdown imposed from June 1.
Idrus said the board was now finalising the results despite being encumbered by movement restrictions.
He explained that processing the results involved more than merely marking, summing up the marks, keying them into a system and making an announcement, as perceived by many candidates.
“The processes are much more intricate as they are governed by stringent protocols put in place by the board to safeguard, at all times, the integrity, credibility and accuracy of the results.”
All these needed to be carried out with the physical attendance of the board’s staff under the strict supervision of the CLP director.
However, he said, the movement control order imposed from June meant that the staff had to work from home.
“As such, due to confidentiality reasons, the finalisation of the results had to be deferred. The safety of the staff has become one of the main priorities for the board.
“The board is working under unusual constraints and it fully understands that many candidates are eager to start their legal practice.
“However, the integrity of the CLP has always been the utmost priority and we will not compromise on the standard of the examination,” he said.
In another announcement, the board said it had been forced to postpone this year’s CLP examination to between February and April next year.
It also said those with conditional passes may re-sit the paper they failed in December, subject to the National Security Council’s permission. - FMT
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