What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

My team and I advised on end-to-end deal structures, legal affairs and risk management, and led complex drafting and negotiations with respect to Touch ‘n Go products and services. We were involved in the:

Partnership with Shell Malaysia on the RFID Refuelling business, currently available at selected Shell petrol stations nationwide.

Development and roll-out of the new enhanced Touch ‘n Go Card, equipped with NFC technology to enable reloads via Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

Strategic collaboration with differently abled United Voice artists, including the purchase of paintings and incorporating the artwork on limited edition specially designed Touch ‘n Go cards.

Entry into car parking sites in West Malaysia providing cashless systems with PayDirect payment enablement via Touch ‘n Go eWallet;

Implementation of RFID payment on all tolled highways in West Malaysia. We currently provide legal support on the company’s involvement in the Malaysian government’s ambitions towards improving the highway experience for all Malaysians, and other strategic partnerships within e-commerce and retail spaces.

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

We successfully implemented a company-wide Contract Management System (CMS), allowing for the digitisation of end-to-end contract management, using paperless system and digital signatures, with appropriate access restrictions for highly private and confidential documents, automated reminders for expiring contracts and dynamic document database or contract depository and seamless approval process. Leveraging on existing M365 software systems with add-on applications, instead of commissioning a remote stand-alone platform allowed us to keep costs low with the possibility of continuous improvements to the system from time to time based on the actual needs of users. We are especially proud of this initiative being our legal department’s contribution to the organisation’s wider ESG targets.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

In addition to primarily being the company’s protector, I strongly believe that general counsel and in-house lawyers are positioned to take on a more strategic function in advising and enabling business units and senior management in achieving their bottom line, whilst guiding them on the legalities, corporate governance, and integrity of business decisions.

To achieve this, it is crucial for in-house counsel to inspire trust, connection, and camaraderie with business units, instilling the notion that engaging legal early in all key projects – as a first resort – provides more upsides than roadblocks.

Key takeaways from my experience have been to approach our work with a business mindset. This involves acquiring in-depth knowledge of the business and products, advising on long-term operational or reputational impact, using commercial language, providing support and solutions beyond legal considerations, with the overarching goal of being a business enabler.