What are the most significant cases, projects, or transactions that you and your legal team have recently been involved in?

Our group of companies (“Group”) has continued its regional expansion as well as adding more products and services in particularly for its travel, vehicle and machineries businesses. Significant work carried out by the team to support the business growth in the past year include: successful conclusion of distribution agreements and related agreements with overseas principals to import, assemble and distribute two new passenger vehicle brands in Malaysia as well as continuous negotiation for export of vehicles assembled in Malaysia; conducting due diligence, providing legal advice, reviewing agreements and documents to support regional expansion through merger and acquisition; providing advice and/or reviewing documents for setting up of overseas subsidiaries including incorporation, employment, trademark and licensing matters; and reviewing documents related to issuance of medium-term notes.

In 2025, significant amendments were made to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and there were new guidelines issued by the Personal Data Protection Commissioner (“Commissioner”). We have updated the Group’s personal data protection framework and relevant policies, registered the group and subsidiaries’ data protection officers, communicated with the Commissioner and stakeholders and attended to data breach matters.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

There are a number of key steps to be taken during periods of instability or crisis to ensure resilience.

Firstly, reviewing relevant contracts, laws and regulations related thereto, identifying legal issues such as potential legal liabilities, regulatory penalties, financial and reputational risks and drawing up proposed action plans to address and/or mitigate them. Secondly, keeping the Board of Directors and senior management apprised of the progress and presenting report and action plans to them for decision. Thirdly, engaging internal stakeholders to cascade the top management’s decision, providing guidance for implementation and preparing communication material, communicating and/or co-ordinating with relevant personnel to communicate with authority (if applicable) and other external stakeholders. Finally, reflecting on the issues and working with business units on improvement plan from the operational processes to legal documentation.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess? 

A modern in-house counsel must possess inquisitive mind, strong analytical skill and ability to embrace changes swiftly to be ready for the ever-changing landscape be it technology disruption, rising geopolitical tension or political instability.

To support company’s goals and business growth, the in-house counsel must also possess good interpersonal skills to work seamlessly with business units, have sound business and financial astuteness to provide pragmatic and commercial viable solutions, and have the ability to cover vast spectrum of work in a fast-paced environment.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation? 

As a public listed company, our Group’s ESG journey started from compliance with Bursa Malaysia Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. It is common that sustainability function resides with legal department as ESG is seen to be led by regulations.

Stakeholders are placing increasingly importance to ensure that ESG principles are integrated before deciding to deal with the Group. As a general counsel, it is therefore crucial to build a business case among the Board of Directors and senior management that ESG is beyond compliance and share the significance of embedding ESG principles into daily operations and decision-making process across the Group and its value chain from the commercial perspective and as a success factor for the business.

Once the tone from the top has been set, setting ESG metrics and targets among business units coupled with continuous sharing and raising awareness among employees will hasten the integration and ensure compliance of ESG principles within the Group.